Pydhonie deaf-and-mute murder case: Not a word spoken! How police prepared 300-page charge sheet

Illustration/Uday Mohite

Over two months of working with the witnesses and suspects, the Pydhonie police had to learn sign language to crack the murder case of deaf and dumb individual Arshad Shaikh. To master the language, the cops started communicating in sign language with their colleagues and even at home. The police are set to file a roughly 300-page charge sheet this week, which includes statements from about 31 deaf-and-dumb witnesses.

Investigators faced significant challenges early on due to the language barrier, as all parties involved in the crime were deaf and mute. They reviewed numerous videos in sign language to reconstruct the crime and overcome communication difficulties.

The victim Arshad Ali Shaikh (left) and Jagpalpreeth Singh, a native of Faridkot

"Our officers worked immensely. They had learnt sign language for better investigation of the case. A team of five officials have been dedicated to this case and we hope that the charge sheet will be filed this week," said Pydhonie Senior Police Inspector Balkrushan Deshmukh.

The case came to light on August 5 when Arshad Shaikh, 33, was murdered by his friends Jay Pawan Chawda, 32, and Shivjeet Singh, 34, at a house in Pydhonie.
They killed Shaikh with a hammer and broken beer bottles before packing his body into a suitcase. The two intended to dispose of the body on an express train at Dadar platform 11 but were intercepted by the railway police. Later, Shaikh's wife, Ruksana, was arrested in connection with the case.

Police also uncovered the involvement of an NRI, Jagpalpreeth Singh, 50, a deaf and mute individual from Punjab, currently residing in Belgium. A blue corner notice has been issued for him, and authorities have approached Interpol for further information on his role in the crime.

According to investigators, Chawda was identified as the mastermind behind the murder. "Their community heavily relied on WhatsApp and video calls for communication," a police official said. "We reviewed around 10 videos, including two that showed the killing, to piece together the sequence of events."

Police officers learned sign language by observing translators and the accused. One officer said, "We watched the translators closely and began speaking the same language even in their absence. At home, we also practiced sign language. On the final day of police custody, when the translator was unavailable, one of our officers translated for the accused in court."

Accused Jay Chawda; Accused Shivjeet Singh and The victim Arshad Ali Shaikh

On August 5, Chawda and Singh invited Shaikh to play cricket. Afterward, the trio went to Chawda's home in Pydhonie, where Chawda gave Singh beer. In a fit of rage, Chawda and Singh strangled Shaikh and then killed him using a hammer. They placed Shaikh's body in a bag, which Chawda planned to dispose of, but he was apprehended by the Dadar Government Railway Police (GRP), while Singh returned to his home in Titwala.

Upon interrogation, Chawda revealed that the murder was premeditated, having brought the bag from his residence in Virar two days earlier. The police learned that Chawda harboured animosity toward Shaikh due to an affair with Shaikh's wife.

"He confessed during interrogation that he had been involved with the wife of the deceased for years and claimed Shaikh physically abused her, which led him to plot the murder," police said.

The investigation also exposed Jagpalpreeth Singh's involvement. A police officer said "We found a video where Jagpalpreeth was showing his passport and money to Chawda and Singh while they were murdering Shaikh. The duo later confirmed that Jagpalpreeth was involved to assert his dominance within the community."

After the murder video circulated, Jagpalpreeth allegedly posted a video in a WhatsApp group, claiming he did not instruct the duo to kill Shaikh, only to "teach him a lesson". Police relied on translators to interpret the video.

During the interrogation, it was revealed that Jagpalpreeth held a grudge against Shaikh, suspecting that he had an affair with his female friend in India. Despite efforts to locate him, Jagpalpreeth remains in Belgium, and police have issued a blue notice to track his movements. Officers visited his native place in Punjab but were unable to find his exact address.