Up-and-coming actor held for murder in Mumbai

Two persons, including an up-and-coming actor, were arrested in connection with the murder of a Congress worker in his apartment in Mumbai last month, the police said on Monday.

Parvez Zahir Alam Khan was nabbed from his hometown in Uttar Pradesh while the aspiring actor, Gopal Babu Shetty, was apprehended from Mumbai.

According to the police, Khan, 28, who allegedly had physical relations with the deceased, Shankar Verma Jain alias Bunty, knew that the latter keeps big sums of money at his residence. He therefore decided to commit a heist and also hired six men for the job.

Shetty, who was promised a role by Jain in three upcoming flicks, also became a part of plot, they said. On August 26 night, Khan went to Jain's house and allegedly killed him.

"Jain used to run a trust which disbursed loans to eunuchs and Khan knew that he had Rs 5 lakh with him. Khan entered the house with five others and managed to get Rs 90,000 at gun-point. After this, he strangulated Jain for not parting with the rest of the money," Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rakesh Maria said.

Khan had hired three men from Uttar Pradesh and two local criminals identified as Shekhar Chettiyar and one Ravi for the job, all of whom are wanted.

Maria said the motive behind the murder was money.  A senior Crime Branch official added that Jain used to take advantage of film strugglers like Shetty to fulfil his "sexual desires by offering them roles".