Actor's Father Murdered in Rental Scam Trap

A shocking crime unfolded in Mumbai's Lokhandwala area on April 7, 2012, when Arun Tikku, the father of actor Anuj Tikku, was found murdered in his son's apartment. A witness heard screams and saw an elderly man being repeatedly stabbed through a window. Police arrived to find the apartment ransacked and Arun Tikku dead in the bathroom, having suffered multiple stab wounds and strangulation.

Anuj Tikku, who had come to Mumbai aspiring to be an actor, was initially detained by police after being traced to Chiplun. He expressed shock upon learning of his father's death. However, the investigation soon uncovered that Anuj's friend, Karan Sood, was actually the convicted murderer Vijay Palande, and the woman introduced as Simran Sood was Palande's wife, Seema Dusanjh.

Investigators theorized that the plot, orchestrated by Palande, Simran, and others, initially targeted Anuj. The plan was to trick him into signing over property documents, then murder him and claim his assets. However, Arun Tikku's arrival to inspect rental documents threatened to expose the scheme. Consequently, the target shifted to Arun, leading to his murder while Anuj was lured away.

Police found a purported suicide note in Anuj's handwriting in Palande's bank locker, which Anuj claims was written under duress after being drugged. Palande, along with accomplices Dhananjay Shinde and Manoj Gajkosh, was later convicted for Arun Tikku's murder. Palande also faced conviction for the murder of aspiring producer Karan Kakkar, another victim of his elaborate scams.