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Key witness in Gulshan case found dead

Keki Balsara, a prime witness in Gulshan Kumar murder case, died under mysterious circumstances in a toilet at the Mumbai police headquarters on Tuesday.

Balsara, a builder by profession, collapsed in the toilet of police headquarters where he was called for a briefing in the Gulshan Kumar murder case.

Doctors in the nearby GT hospital said he died of heart failure.

"In his death, the prosecution has suffered a great loss but the Gulshan Kumar murder case would not be adversely affected", special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said.

The prosecution was banking heavily on Balsara's version to prove its case that TIPS Chairman Ramesh Taurani had given the contract amount of Rs 2.5 million to Dubai-based Abu Salem through Music Composer Nadeem Saifee to kill Gulshan Kumar.

The prosecution's case is that Balsara was asked by Abu Salem to take Rs 2.5 million from Nadeem and hand over the amount to the killers of Gulshan Kumar.

Accordingly, Balsara had collected the money from Nadeem and handed over to the accused a few days before the audio king was gunned down on August 12, 1997 in suburban Juhu.

Balsara had purchased a plot, which was under dispute. The matter was referred to Abu Salem for settlement. Finally, a compromise was reached and Balsara was assured that he would be paid Rs 7.5 million in three installments of Rs 2.5 million each.

Salem asked Balsara to collect the first installment from Nadeem. Balsara was not aware that this was the contract money to kill Gulshan Kumar. Salem then asked Balsara to hand over the money to his persons and that he would be paid later.

PTI

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