Mumbai: Chintan Upadhyay, husband of Hema Upadhyay who was murdered along with her lawyer, was paying her Rs 40,000 a month and had also paid her Rs 16 lakh in arrears. The two had divorced mutually over a year ago but had a dispute over alimony and a flat in Juhu, which they co-owned and is valued at around Rs 5 crore.
The Bandra family court had passed a decree in favour of Chintan while granting divorce and Hema had challenged it in high court.
“Furthermore, even though Rs 40,000 every month was being paid by Chintan based on an interim court order, Hema wanted him to pay Rs1 lakh a month,” added the police source. This could be a possible motive for Chintan to be involved in his wife’s murder, said the source, who refused to be named.
The Mumbai crime branch’s unit XI is presently questioning Chintan. When asked if Chintan has been given a clean chit, a crime branch source neither confirmed nor denied it.
The source said, “Presently, we our recording all his statements and verifying them. If he says I have met this person on this day and time, we are personally meeting that person and verifying the claim. At this stage how can I say he has been given a clean chit? Right now, my focus is only to record his statements in full detail and to verify them.”
According to sources in the Kandivali police, Chintan has only one flat in Juhu and does not own any other property. On the other hand, Hema too has only one flat in Juhu and she too does not own any other property. Hema wanted this flat’s ownership from him and he was not ready to give it.
“They had approached the court over this. I have learnt that there are two bedrooms in the flat and they were asked to use one bedroom each and end the dispute,” said a senior police official.
The only fact that links Chintan with the alleged murderers is his communication with them before the murder. It has also been learnt that Chintan had in the past provided financial help to the main accused Vidyadhar Rajbhar.
On the other hand, artists who know Chintan have come out in his full support, rubbishing allegations that he can be even remotely involved in the case. Four to five persons were seen standing outside the crime branch unit XI for the entire day.
“I have studied with him. I know him for over 15 years now. It’s true they are divorced but neither Hema nor Chintan can even think of harming each other,” said a woman.
