The Wadala police have arrested a 27-year-old man for killing an elderly woman with an aim to steal her jewellery. The half-burned body of the deceased, identified as 76-year-old Sugrabi Hussain Mulla, was found near Mumbai Port Trust on October 26.
According to the police, Mulla was hit on her head with an iron rod after she resisted the jewellery snatching bid by accused Mohammad Faiz Rafiq Syed, alias Baba, who lives in the same area. Her body was later put in a sack and dumped during the night before putting kerosene oil and setting it on fire.
Victim suffered multiple injuries
The police said the victim had injuries on her face, head, elbows and knees and it was difficult for them to identify the body initially as her face was completely burnt. After the body was found, police said they took pictures of her henna-coloured hair and the jewellery she was wearing and showed to people in Chindhi Galli, Nityanand Nagar, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar and Sangam Nagar areas aiming to find any clue for her identification.
Meanwhile, an advocate residing in the Internal Dosti building on Shaheed Bhagat Singh Road approached the police saying that her house help, mentioning the victim’s name, had not come to work for the last four days. As police showed her the victim’s photos, the advocate recognised the hair colour. Police later went to Mulla’s house where her son informed her that his mother had gone to live with her elder son in Navi Mumbai. The victim’s elder son told cops that his mother left his residence on October 24 for Wadala by train.
Police check CCTV footage
Later, with the help of CCTV footage, cops found out that Mulla was seen going to the house of the Baba. As police interrogated the accused, he confessed to the crime.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Sanjay Latkar, said the accused called the victim at his house for tea and later in a bid to steal her jewellery hit her on head, leading to her death and later set it on fire.
