Key Accused in Gulshan Kumar Murder Case Passes Away
Abdul Rauf Merchant, a close aide of underworld figure Dawood Ibrahim and a prime convict in the high-profile 1997 murder of audio magnate Gulshan Kumar, died on Thursday morning at the Harsul Central Prison in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Prison authorities stated the 55-year-old inmate likely succumbed to a cardiac arrest.
Sequence of Events Leading to Death
According to prison officials, Merchant complained of dizziness within the jail premises on Thursday. The prison's medical officer examined him and immediately referred him to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). Upon arrival at GMCH, doctors examined him and declared him brought dead.
Harsul prison superintendent Anil Khamkar provided a detailed medical history, stating, "After he complained of chest pain, he was admitted to GMCH on Dec 30. After initial treatment, he was discharged. The second time, he was admitted to GMCH on Jan 4, and was discharged in two days. This morning, he complained of dizziness and uneasiness." The doctors, considering his medical history, indicated a probable cardiac arrest.
Merchant's younger brother, Imtiaz, told reporters that they had spoken to him just two days prior, where he mentioned suffering from chest pain. In the past 10-15 days, he had been taken to GMCH three times for medical issues.
Long Legal Battle and Conviction
Abdul Rauf Merchant's legal journey was long and complex. He was transferred to Harsul prison from Pune's Yerwada central prison on March 8, 2003, while still an undertrial. His conviction in the murder case came shortly after, on April 29, 2003.
Merchant challenged the trial court's verdict in the Bombay High Court. Nearly 24 years after the murder and 19 years after the initial conviction, a division bench of Justices S S Jadhav and N R Borkar upheld his life imprisonment sentence on July 1, 2021. The High Court specifically directed that he be granted "no remission" of his sentence, citing his past conduct which included absconding twice during the investigation and trial.
His family members revealed that this High Court order was subsequently challenged before the Supreme Court, and the matter was under hearing at the time of his death. They also mentioned that he had been home on a 28-day parole about a year ago and was planning to avail parole again for treatment at a higher medical facility.
Postmortem and Official Procedures
Following his death, an in-camera postmortem was conducted on the body at GMCH before it was handed over to his family for last rites. Police and prison authorities confirmed that all further procedures are being carried out as per standard rules and regulations. The exact cause of death will be officially ascertained based on the final postmortem report.
Prison officials reiterated the sequence of events, stating, "The medical officer present in the prison examined him and immediately referred him to GMCH. However, after examination, doctors declared him brought dead." The case brings a close to a significant chapter in one of Mumbai's most notorious criminal cases.
