Mumbai: A 32-year-old woman and her 11-year-old daughter were found murdered in their residence in Shil Daighar, Thane district, late on Sunday night.
The deceased have been identified as Nasiza Siddiqui (32) and her daughter Taniya (11). The police said Nasiza and Taniya used to stay with Taniya’s younger brother in Pimprigaon village on Panvel road. Nasiza was a housewife while her husband, Jamaluddin, works in Dubai.
“Nasiza’s parents stay in the same locality and they had last seen her late on Saturday night. On Sunday night, Nasiza's mother Badrunissa decided to check on her as she had not seen her all day. Nasiza’s son had stayed over at Ms. Badrunissa’s house on Saturday night, and Nasiza and Taniya were alone in the house,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police D.S. Swami, Zone I.
Mr. Swami said when Ms. Badrunissa went to Nasiza’s residence, the door was locked. She raised an alarm and the door was broken open with the help of neighbours.
Nasiza and Taniya were lying lifeless on the ground. They were taken to Shivaji Hospital in Kalwa where they were declared dead before admission. The Shil Daighar police sent a team to the spot.
“Nasiza had a cut on her throat, while Taniya had been strangled. Inquiries revealed that a 20-year-old girl, identified as Arshi, used to stay with the family. She had earlier been in a relationship with Nasiza’s brother, but later severed ties. After much arguments, Nasiza employed Arshi as her housemaid. She, and one of her male friends, have been missing since Saturday. The murder is believed to have occurred between Friday night and Sunday morning,” said an officer who is part of the investigating team.
The officer said inquiries with relatives of the deceased have revealed internal disputes, which are being looked into as possible motives behind the murder. “We have also learned that Arshi fell into bad company after her breakup with Nasiza’s brother and might have been involved in some illegal activities.”
“Some cash and jewellery are missing and we suspect that this is an attempt to pass off the murder as a robbery that turned violent,” Mr. Swami said.
The police have registered a case of murder under the Indian Penal Code against unknown persons and have launched a manhunt for Arshi and her friend. Several teams are in various locations trying to trace them.
