Mumbai: During the investigation of a gang that targets commuters on long distances train, the city crime branch solved a 2017 murder case that was never registered, at least, till the accused confessed to the killing. According to the police, the accused identified as Anwar Aslam Sayyad, 19, who was a part of the gang.
While looking for the gang members, the crime branch unit 10 arrested a member of the gang who, in his interrogation, said that Anwar had committed a murder of his fellow gang member Rashid alias Raju Wahab Sayyad, 22. He further told the investigators that Anwar was never arrested, as the alleged murder was yet to be registered.
The officers from unit 10 then checked with Ghoti police station in Nashik rular and found that an Accidental Death Report (ADR) was registered after an unknown body was found near the railway tracks. However, they could not identify the victim and disposed off his body later, since no one ever turned up to claim the deceased. The crime branch team also went to Rashid's home in Guleshnagar, Malegaon, where his mother told the police that her son was missing since September 2017.
After verifying the fact, crime branch picked up Anvar. During intense interrogation, he confessed to killing Rashid. "The accused suspected Rashid of having a relationship with his mother. Apart from this, he was in a need of money to bail out his then minor brother from a Hyderabad jail. On the night of the incident, the gang targeted a few commuters. Rashid had allegedly stolen four mobile phones from the commuters. However, they had a quarrel over property share and Anwar pushed him out of the running train," said senior police inspector Sunil Mane of crime branch unit 10.
The deceased's mother asked Anwar about her son. However, he and the other gang members never told her about the incident. She then registered a missing complaint at Pawar Wadi police station in Nashik. The police reportedly called them for questioning, however, they never disclosed anything about the murder. "After the accused's confession, we informed Ghoti police station, which registered a murder case on Tuesday and handed over the accused for further investigation," said Deputy Commissioner of Police Akbar Pathan.
