11 February,2024 04:14 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah Khan
Police officers taking Mishra away after his custody hearing at the Esplanade Court in South Mumbai
Amarendra Mishra, the bodyguard of Abhishek Ghosalkar murder accused Morris Noronha, was on Saturday remanded to police custody for three days by the Esplanade Court. Mishra, 44, who was arrested on Friday, was produced in court on Saturday, where the police sought his custody on the grounds that the gun used in the crime was registered in his name. The police said that they wanted to investigate whether Mishra's license was valid, why he gave his licensed weapon to the accused and whether he received any monetary benefits by keeping his gun with the accused.
Amarendra Mishra
Mishra's wife Soni, however, said, "My husband has been falsely implicated in this case and he has been beaten and tortured in the lock up. His life is under threat and I request CM Ekanth Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis to ensure my husband's safety."
She added that he had a valid license for the .45 bore pistol and that Noronha would keep it in his possession. "Mishra was hired by Noronha around four months ago. He had kept his gun in Noronha's possession. It was also with Noronha in December when Mishra went to his native place to attend a relative's funeral," a police source said. Noronha had on Thursday shot Ghosalkar dead during a Facebook Live session, leading to outrage across the country.