Gaming addiction, PF money and a killing: How police decoded 6-month-old murder case in Mumbai

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• Mumbai Police arrested a 20-year-old man for murdering his friend over ₹30,000
• Accused spent victim's PF money on online gaming and confessed to the crime
• Victim was drowned in Mithi river; investigation is ongoing

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Mumbai Police have arrested a 20-year-old man in connection with the murder of his friend, allegedly over a dispute involving ₹30,000 siphoned from the victim’s Provident Fund (PF) account and spent on online gaming.

The accused, Ankit Shahu, and the victim, Rahul Kumar Yogendra Prasad Kharvar (26), were friends and residents of Kurla West. Police said the two shared a close bond, which led Rahul, who worked with a private firm, to seek Ankit’s help in withdrawing money from his PF account, believing him to be more adept with technology.

According to investigators, Ankit allegedly transferred ₹30,000 from Rahul’s PF account into his own bank account and later spent the entire amount on online gaming. When Rahul realised that money had been withdrawn without his consent, he demanded it back. Police said Ankit then sent Rahul a screenshot of a UPI transaction claiming the amount had been returned. However, Rahul told friends that no such credit reflected in his account.

Rahul was reported missing on July 24, 2025, after he failed to return home to Bail Bazar in Kurla West. His family later approached the Vinoba Bhave Nagar police after repeated enquiries with friends and relatives yielded no information.

“We registered a missing person’s case and tracked his mobile phone. There were no concrete leads initially,” a police officer told HT.

Police said Rahul was eventually drowned in the Mithi river in Kurla. It took investigators nearly six months to identify Ankit as the prime suspect. A major breakthrough came last week after Rahul’s family pointed police towards Ankit, whose mother worked in the same company as the victim.

During further questioning, police said Ankit, described as a gaming addict, allegedly confessed to pushing Rahul into the river to avoid repaying the ₹30,000.

The accused has been taken into custody, and further investigation into the case is ongoing.