Dead men sometimes tell tales. During the investigation into the murder of their informer, Guru Waghmare, police discovered a chilling detail: 22 names tattooed on his thighs, including a declaration that those individuals should be held responsible if anything happened to him. Notably, one of these names was that of spa owner Santosh Sherekar—one of the three suspects arrested for Waghmare’s murder on Thursday.

The other two alleged attackers are Mohammad Firoz Ansari, 26, and Shakib Ansari, 28. Additionally, two suspects in Kota, Rajasthan, who were in contact with the accused at the time of the murder, have been detained by the crime branch.

Waghmare also left behind a diary where he recorded his daily activities. If he had a bad day, he used a red pen to detail it, including names of those he fought with; a green pen for good days; and a blue pen for normal days. The diary, maintained since 2014, also listed the names of spa owners he had extorted.

Waghmare’s extortion activities eventually led to his downfall. Fed up with his relentless demands and harassment, Sherekar sought to have him eliminated and paid Firoz Ansari ₹6 lakh to carry out the hit. Firoz enlisted his friend Shakib Ansari from Delhi, and police believe ₹4 lakh was already paid to the assailants.

Firoz, a spa owner himself, had been a target of Waghmare’s extortion. Waghmare had filed multiple complaints against Firoz’s spa, leading to its closure a year prior. Firoz, aware of Waghmare’s broader extortion racket, discussed a “solution” with Sherekar a few months ago, agreeing that Sherekar would cover the expenses.

Ten days before the murder, Firoz instructed Shakib to start tracking Waghmare. They bought scissors, which they broke into two parts: one part for stabbing and the other for slitting Waghmare’s throat.

Waghmare, who celebrated his 50th birthday on July 17, threw a party at a bar in Sion for a 24-year-old female friend from Sherekar’s spa and two other staff members. After the party, they returned to the spa in Waghmare’s car, with Firoz and Shakib following on a scooter.

When the manager and staff left, Waghmare and the spa employee entered the building. At around 1:30 am on Wednesday, the assailants broke in, locked the woman in a room, and brutally attacked Waghmare in another room, stabbing him multiple times and slitting his throat before fleeing.