Mumbai: The Vakola police have arrested a 50-year-old auto-rickshaw driver for allegedly strangling his son-in-law's second wife and dumping her body in a creek near Bandra Kurla Complex. The accused, identified as Mohammed Sartaz, confessed to the crime during interrogation, police said. His 19-year-old son, who allegedly helped him carry out the killing, is still absconding.
According to DCP (West Zone-1) Nimit Goyal, the victim, 26-year-old Rukhsana, was the second wife of Sakib Siddiqui, a Santacruz East resident. Sartaz's daughter Sehrin was Siddiqui's first wife, and she was reportedly deeply upset after Siddiqui married Rukhsana a month before the murder. Police believe Sartaz's frustration with his son-in-law and the tensions stemming from the second marriage drove him and his son to plan the killing. The two allegedly strangled Rukhsana, wrapped her body in a gunny bag, and threw it into the creek.
The case came to light after Siddiqui filed a missing person complaint on September 30. In his statement, he said Rukhsana had vanished from their home when he returned for lunch around 11 am on August 28, while Sehrin was asleep. He searched the neighbourhood and tried calling his wife, but her phone was switched off. Siddiqui said he then travelled to his aunt's home in Delhi on September 28 to look for her, while Sehrin checked with relatives and in the local area, but Rukhsana was nowhere to be found. A kidnapping FIR under the BNS was registered at Vakola police station on October 30.
Acting on technical and human intelligence, police tracked down the absconding accused. During sustained questioning, they learned that Rukhsana had been strangled and her body dumped in the creek. Her remains were later recovered following due procedure. The body was found on Saturday night in the bushes near the creek in BKC. A police officer said Sartaz has confessed to planning the murder, adding that investigators are now working to determine who else was involved.
