Cops crack Malwani killings

Unit 11 of the Mumbai police crime branch has nabbed a woman, her husband and his friend in the case where a woman and her two grandchildren were murdered in Malwani, Malad. The trio were arrested around 4 pm in Valsad, Gujarat on Saturday.

The accused have been identified as Shabina Shafiq Shaikh alias Anam Salman Shaikh (25), Salman Mohammad Afzal Shaikh alias Mufin Shaikh (26) and Salman Akbar Shaikh (25), all residents of Malwani.

The accused were handed over to Malwani police on Sunday and later produced in court, where they were remanded to police custody. The accused had allegedly killed Babli Shaw (47), Aryan Ismail Shaikh (13) and Sania Ismail Shaikh (10), residents of New Collector Colony, on the night of June 22. The family’s neighbours discovered their bodies the next morning, after which they informed the police.

Initially, officials suspected that Babli was killed over a money dispute or in connection with the sex racket she was allegedly running, but the accused informed the police that Shabina, who was the deceased’s friend, was aware that she had money in her cupboard. According to police officials, Babli was running a prostitution racket in her home and used to supply liquor to her clients even on dry days.

Also, she had given her rooms in the chawl out on rent on a heavy deposit, making a huge profit. Shabina, who was also involved in the prostitution racket, had met Babli almost eight months ago and had noticed the gold ornaments and cash stashed away in the latter’s cupboard one day. She had also told Babli that they could buy a house in a good area with the money.

Later, Shabina informed Mufin about Babli’s money and he planned to rob her house and kill her if she tried to resist. Mufin, a rickshaw driver who hails from Bijnaur, UP, asked Salman, also an auto driver, to be his accomplice. Shabina was certain that Babli would allow her into her house at night because she used to accompany their clients there, the police said.

The trio reached Babli’s house around 12.30 am and Shabina introduced both Mufin and Salman as clients. Later, the accused consumed liquor and Mufin had sexual relations with her while Babli was watching television.

Later, the trio came down to ground floor where Babli was sleeping with her grandchildren. Mufin and Salman then attacked Babli with a kitchen knife while Shabina stood near the entrance. Babli’s screams woke up Sania and Aryan, whom the accused stabbed, as the children knew Shabina.

Later, the accused tried to open the cupboard but failed, following which they tried to break it open. However, this too proved futile. In the meantime, Salman had injured his palm while stabbing Babli, and was bleeding.

According to the police, as the accused failed to get money they decide to travel to Valsad without ticketles. They had also planned to travel to Ajmer without a ticket from Valsad. DCP S.N. Satav, commenting on the incident, said that the accused, intending to escape, were carrying two bags full of clothes with them. The police has recovered these clothes, blood-stained rags and the knife that was used in the killing from them.

According to police sources, as Salman was badly injured in the incident the accused admitted him to a local hospital in Valsad on June 23. He got discharged from there on June 25 and accused on their way from there to a railway station to catch a train and the police arrested them.

How the crime was detected A crime branch official said that Babali was in touch with Shabina whose number the police got from Babali’s mobile phone. On the day of the incident, Shabina’s phone was active in the area, police, which was suspicious to the police. The police started searching for her both within the state and in other states. Along with this, the police was checking all CCTV camera footage of nearby shops. In one footage they found a woman and two men acting suspiciously on the street outside Babali’s chawl. In the footage Shabina was clearly visible and she was uttering Salman’s name, which was audible. Based on the footage, the police started searching for her. According to officials, during investigation they came across a blood stained hand print in Babli’s house and when they came toknow that a man in Valsad was receiving treatment for an injury to his palm and he was accompanied by two other people, the police realise dthat they may be the culprits. Hence, the police were able to narrow down and arrest them.