Gaming Addiction, Rs 30,000 PF Fraud And UPI Proof; Why A Mumbai Man Killed His Friend, Dumped Body In Mithi River

Mumbai News: Mumbai Police have arrested a 20-year-old man for allegedly killing his friend after cheating him of Rs 30,000 withdrawn from a Provident Fund (PF) account. The crime, which took place in July last year, came to light nearly six months later following a fresh probe into the victim’s disappearance.

The accused, Ankit Shahu and the victim, Rahul Kharvar, were friends and lived in Kurla West. Police said the two shared a close bond and Rahul had trusted Ankit to help him withdraw money from his PF account as he was more familiar with digital transactions.

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Rahul Kharvar, 26, worked with a private company and lived in the Bail Bazar area. He was reported missing on July 24, 2025, after failing to return home. When repeated efforts to trace him failed, his family approached the Vinoba Bhave Nagar police station, where a missing person’s case was registered, as reported by a Hindustan Times report.

Initial investigations did not yield strong leads. However, last week, Rahul’s family raised suspicion about Ankit Shahu, whose mother worked in the same company as the victim. During questioning, police found that Ankit had allegedly transferred Rs 30,000 from Rahul’s PF account into his own bank account and later spent the entire amount on online gaming.

Police said Rahul confronted Ankit after noticing the unauthorised withdrawal. Ankit allegedly showed him a screenshot of a UPI transfer, claiming the money had been returned. Rahul, however, told friends that the amount never reached his account.

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Investigators believe the financial dispute led to the murder. “On July 24, Ankit took Rahul near the bank of the Mithi river close to the airport wall in Kurla. While Rahul was watching aeroplanes, Ankit pushed him into the river around 8 pm,” a police officer said.

Police have registered a case under sections 103 (murder), 238 (causing disappearance of evidence) and 316 (criminal breach of trust) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Section 66 of the Information Technology Act.

Officials said strong technical evidence, including bank records, call detail records and mobile tower location data, links the accused to the crime. Efforts are still underway to trace Rahul’s body from the Mithi river.