Woman's body found stuffed in suitcase

Mumbai: The body of a 22-year-old woman was found stuffed in a suitcase Monday morning near Chanakya marine training institute, Palm Beach Road, Vashi. The suitcase, containing the severed head and the rest of the woman’s body, was found at the farm of one Mahendra Tandel. An offence has been registered at NRI Sagari police station.

According to police officials, the suitcase was found dumped at Tandel’s farm near Chanakya marine training institute on Palm Beach Road, Nerul. An official said, “NRI coastal police has registered a case under sections 302 (punishment for murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence) against unidentified person(s).”

Later, a family from Govandi, upon seeing a picture of the body, identified it as belonging to their own girl Mariama Shaikh (22). The deceased’s brother Chand Shaikh said, “My sister was working at one of the beauty parlours based in Vashi. She was missing since the past two days. She would return from work by 9 pm but on Saturday, she didn’t come back so we went to Shivaji Nagar police station and filed a missing complaint.”

“We got a call from the police after which we checked the picture of the body and identified it as hers. We are getting calls from some unknown person that she is alive and she is with them in Sanpada. I suspect this person is the culprit and we have informed the police about the same. We want whoever committed this brutal act to be punished,” he said.

Deputy superindentent of police,  Sudhakar Pathare said, “We are investigating the case and talking to the family. We will check with the deceased’s friends and employer. It is early days to say anything.”