Police allege the businessman killed them as his wife had found about his affair with his cousin
Ilyas Sayyed hatched the plan and told his lover Afreen Bano about it; (left). His wife Tehsin Zahra and their two and half-year-old daughter Alia were murdered
THE Shahu Nagar police claimed to have solved the double murder at Dharavi on Wednesday. A 34-year-old woman and her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter were found dead with their throats slit, and the bodies partially burnt, on Tuesday. The woman's husband and his cousin who were in a relationship were arrested. Police alleged the accused took the step as his wife had found out about the affair.
What happened
On Tuesday, around 11 am, residents of Diamond Apartments saw smoke emanating from the 10th floor flat. They called Ilyas Sayyed, 38, who owns the flat.
Ilyas came and found the bodies of his wife Tehsin Zahra, 34, and daughter, Alia, partially burnt. Shahu Nagar cops registered a case of murder against unknown people. The police also detained Ilyas as he was the last person to leave the flat. They later found that a burqa-clad woman had gone to the 10th floor after Ilyas left.
"Ilyas said he had gone to his zari workshop in Wadala. Workers confirmed this, but said he had left soon after," said a police officer.
When firmly questioned, Ilyas spilled the beans. "Ilyas was in an illicit relationship with his cousin, Afreen Bano, 22, and Tehsin was not ready to divorce him. They fought frequently over this," a police officer added.
The plan
Police said on Monday, Ilyas hatched the plan to kill Tehsin and told Afreen about it. On Tuesday, after Tehsin returned home from dropping elder daughter Fatima, 4, to school, Ilyas slit her throat and when Alia started crying, slit her throat, too. He then went to his workshop.
As planned, Afreen then went to Ilyas's flat sent a message to him from Tehsin's mobile phone saying, âWe both are leaving, I love you' and set the bodies afire.
Police speak
The CCTV at the gate of the building had recorded Afreen's visit. "We have sufficient evidence about the roles of both Ilyas and Afreen in the murder," said Additional Commissioner (Central) Dr. Ravindra Shisve.
Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates
