The Malwani police on Friday questioned Ismail Sheikh, the son-in-law of Babli Shaw and the father of Aryan and Sanya, in connection with their murders.
Ms. Shaw (47), Aryan (13) and Sanya (8) were found stabbed to death at their Malwani residence on Thursday morning. A kitchen knife was recovered from the house, which is believed to have been used to kill them. Since there were no signs of forced entry, the police suspect that the killer was known to the victims and that they let him in the house willingly.
According to the Malwani police, preliminary inquiries revealed that relations were strained between Ms. Shaw and Ismail over several reasons. Ismail was questioned at length over his relations with the victims as well as his movements and whereabouts on the night of the murder.
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“Inquiries so far have revealed that when Ms. Shaw’s daughter Afsa was seriously unwell, Ismail did not take proper care of her, which led to strained relations between Ms. Shaw and Ismail. When she ultimately passed away due to her illness, Ms. Shaw brought Aryan and Sanya to her house and also made them inheritors of all her property in Mumbai as well as in her native West Bengal,” said an officer with the Malwani police.
The officer added that the custody of the children was another bone of contention. “After Ismail remarried, he tried to get Aryan and Sanya to come to stay with him. However, Ms. Shaw always opposed him every time, due to which there used to be frequent arguments between them,” said the officer.
The police have so far not found any indications of the house being robbed, and robbery as a motive is currently a moot possibility, investigating officials said.
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Meanwhile, the police are scouring the neighbourhood to find out if anyone was seen near Ms. Shaw’s house or in the lane where the house is on the night of the murders. Officials said that the possibility of more than one person having committed the crime cannot be denied as it would be difficult for a single person to kill three people without a struggle and the resulting commotion, which could have been overheard by neighbours. The police have also asked doctors conducting post-mortem examination to check the viscera of the deceased for any sedatives or similar drugs.
The writer is a freelance journalist