Mumbai: The MRA Marg police have solved a 12-year-old murder case with the arrest of three people, including the now 60-year-old woman, who had allegedly paid two of her friends to get rid of her abusive husband.
The murder case was registered by the JJ Marg police on May 14, 2006, after a torso was found near Urdu Municipal School in Mastan Talao, Nagpada.
According to the police, earlier this month, one of their informants told them about a garments seller who was involved in the murder and dismemberment of a Nagpada resident several years ago.
“We contacted the JJ Marg police and sought information about any such case in their jurisdiction. Together, we scanned the records until 11 years ago before we found the case that matched the information provided by our informant,” said an officer with the MRA Marg police.
The police learned that the suspect sells garments at a wholesale market in Do Taki on Grant Road. “We combed the market wearing plain clothes till we found the suspect, identified as Firasat Ali Shah (42),” the officer said.
Over the next few days, the police identified two other suspects who were in touch with him in 2006. One of them was identified as Irshad Ali Shah (43), while the other was Bansiben Kharwa (60). Inquiries revealed that Ms. Kharwa’s husband Kisan had mysteriously disappeared in 2006. Since he was an alcoholic and abusive husband, no one tried to find him.
On Wednesday, the police picked up the three suspects and interrogated them separately. “We first made them recount their movements on the day the torso was found and crosschecked them. After pinpointing loopholes, we confronted them with each other. As soon as they saw each other, they realised that the game was up and started confessing,” the officer said.
The trio have allegedly told the police that Ms. Kharwa, fed up of Kisan’s alcoholism and abusive behaviour, had paid ₹2 lakh to the two, who slit Kisan’s throat, dismembered his body, and dumped the pieces at different locations.
