NAIROBI Kenya February 22 -The wife of Indian businessman, Jayesh Kumar, who was killed and body doused in acid in Lukenya, Machakos County on February 14 was in communication with one of the killers.
Detectives from the Langata Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have told the court that the painstaking investigation involved analysis of call data records, recovered murder weapons, CCTV footage that finally led to confessions.
In a strange confession, Velji Jayaben Jayeshikumar who was arrested on Wednesday February 21 revealed that she contracted the men to only ‘discipline’ and not kill her husband.
Ms Jayaben was on Thursday arraigned before Kibera Law Courts Magistrate Irene Kahuya who allowed detectives to detain her for 14 days as they conclude investigations.
The suspect was in communication with one of the other four suspects in police custody, on the day her husband was killed and his body doused in acid.
Preliminary reports indicate that the couple had quarreled over claims of infidelity before Ms Jayaben sought the services of a friend to discipline the husband.
The friend is one of the four suspects who were arraigned in court on February 19 over the murder.
“She is reported to have asked the suspect to help discipline and torture her husband as the two had disagreements. The other suspect agreed and recruited others to execute the plan,” Magistrate Kahuya said.
Ms Jayaben had that morning at around 7am captured on CCTV camera walking along Kodi Road in Nairobi West in the company of her husband and son. It is believed that was the time she made a call to the alleged killers.
As she would confess later, the plan was to beat and warn the husband and not to kill him.
Detectives said they established that the other suspect sent her a short text message about three hours later, informing her that they had finished the job.
The slain businessman left the house for Sigma Feeds in Rongai where he used to work and is said to have been picked by one Kaylan Verkariya Kaylan Shivji who was driving a Toyota Prado.
They proceeded to Machakos County, and that was the last time he was seen alive and his mobile phone was also switched off.
The following day, after he failed to show up, his brothers Hetish Kumar and Dipak Valji reported the matter at Langata police station.
Security guards at Lukenya Conservancy who were on normal patrol saw blood along a foot path. This led them to a bush where they found a checked shirt with blood stains, a shoe, underwear, metal rod and pieces of bones of an unknown person.
They alerted the Kyumbi DCI officers who collected the bones and the items. Detectives from Langata DCI triangulated Kumar’s calls and the data led them arrested Mbithi Munguti.
Upon interrogation, Munguti revealed that the deceased was kidnapped at Shell petrol station along Langata road by Verkariya on February 14.
The plot involved two hitmen who were waiting deep in the conservancy, and it was alleged that Kumar was first hit on the head before being killed.
“The first respondent stated that they drove to Lukenya Conservancy where they murdered Jayesh Kumar Kanji Velji, doused his body with a certain acid and dumped it there. The first respondent led the investigations team to a remote area within Lukenya Conservancy where he alleged to have dumped the body,” the investigating officer told the court.
She identified the other kidnappers as Gideon Muasa Nthale and Stephen Mweu Musembi. Muasa was arrested in Tala while Mweu was arrested at Gatitu in Mwala, Machakos County.
Verkariya was arrested at Swaminarayan Temple Flats and the vehicle claimed to have been used in the mission impounded.
Detectives have also planned to conduct DNA analysis on the bones to confirm they are Kumar’s.
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