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Murdered Dubai restaurateur was a kind, jovial man full of life, say his staff

An Indian man reportedly killed in his hometown of Thane on Friday night by unknown assailants was a caring, kind hearted and jovial man ’full of life’, staff working at the Dubai restaurant he owned told Khaleej Times.

Suresh Noojaje, originally from Mangalore, was alone in his bungalow in Thane’s Sahapur district where he was on a short break, when unidentified people broke in before allegedly tying his hands and legs and reportedly beating him to death.

According to reports, a maid spotted Noojaje’s body on Saturday morning and informed the police. A case has been registered under Indian Penal Code Sections (IPC) 302 (murder) and 460 (house-trespass or house-breaking where death or grievous hurt is caused) and a search is still said to be on for the assailants.

However, those who knew Noojaje, originally from Mangaluru in Karanataka, are still coming to terms with the news. "We are all in a state of shock and can’t believe what has just happened," said Jayendra, the manager of Swadist, the popular mid-range all-day vegetarian diner Noojaje had been running over over 16 years.

"We closed our operations on Sunday as a mark of respect but business is back up as usual even though we still haven’t been able to completely absorb everything that’s happened so far," he added.

A man of big heart and discipline

Located barely 400m away from the ADCB metro station in Karama, Swadist has long been a popular lunch and dinnertime joint for mid-level executives and is well known for its range of snacks from Mumbai, catering to anywhere between 100 and 200 guests on a daily basis.

"Many of our loyal customers who heard the news are also deeply shocked to hear the news. He had shared a special connection with anyone who walked in for a meal and he would make sure that his guests returned for a second time," said Sandeep, another staff at the restaurant that’s looked after by a pool of 18 workers - chefs, captains and waiters all included. "He never missed a single salary and always paid us on time. And if one of us had any emergency, he would be our first stop and eventually our last. The buck stopped with him," he added.

Another Swadist staff said Noojaje was a kind man who often engaged in lighthearted banter with his employees but was a strict disciplinarian when it came to duty hours. "He was a tough workmaster duty but outside work hours, he was like a friend," he added.

However, the team said they were unclear of what lay ahead of them even though they now expect the reins of the restaurant to be with Noojaje’s wife.

Noojaje had no kids and is survived by his wife. He frequently divided his time between Dubai and Thane, where he breathed his last in his bungalow late Friday night. He was 48.

What we know so far

Noojaje’s cousin Harish Mepad, who is now running the restaurant in the interim, told Khaleej Times late Tuesday evening that all six assailants were arrested by police and have also made confessional statements.

"His body has already been cremated and a ritual will be performed on the 11th day in his hometown in Puttur near Managaluru," he said.

Double tragedy

The family of Suresh was shattered to hear the news.

“His parents are aged and live in Mangalore. His elder paternal uncle, who is about 80 years, was shocked and died of a heart attack on Saturday. That has become a double tragedy for his family.”

He said a devastated Shewta is with her parents in Thane.

Thane Police has arrested a gang of seven who confessed to the crime, he added.

Meanwhile, the employees of the restaurant Swadist are yet to come to terms with the shocking news. Suresh had opened the popular vegetarian restaurant in Karama in 2004.

Jayendra Devdas Poojari, manager of the restaurant, said the restaurant was closed on Sunday to pay tributes to their “caring” owner.

The employees held a prayer meeting and offered condolences to his family.

Jayendra said most of the 18 staff members have been working with the eatery for more than 10 years. “That shows how he used to take care of the employees. He was a very jovial person who got along well with the staff members and the customers as well. He took good care of all of us,” said Jayesh.