Mumbai: Taxi driver killed using paver block; fruit vendor held

Mumbai, May 23 (PTI) A man allegedly killed a 55-year-old taxi driver by hitting him on his head with a paver block multiple times after he refused to ferry him to some place in Mumbai from Dadar early on Sunday, a police official said.

The accused, identified as Basawraj Melenamani (30), was arrested within hours of the incident, he said.

"After the incident, police received a call that a person was lying in a pool of blood, following which a team reached the spot and rushed the victim to KEM Hospital. However, he was declared dead on arrival," the official said.

While going through the CCTV footage, police found that the taxi driver, Chabiraj Jaiswar, had an argument with the accused before being attacked by him. The footage showed the accused hitting the driver with a paver block multiple times.

During the probe, police came to know that Melenamani is a local fruit vendor, he added.

"Hours later, he was found loitering near Kabutarkhana, close to the spot where the incident occurred," he said, adding that the accused was possibly under the influence of liquor when he attacked the driver.

Melenamani was arrested under IPC section 302 (murder), and further investigation is underway, he said. PTI ZA NP NP