Witness turns out to be killer, Mumbai cops crack murder case within 48 hours

Tasleem Halim Ansari; Mohammed Salman Sheikh ; Bilal Saeed Ansari

The Nizampur police investigating the murder of an unidentified person managed to identify and crack the case within 48 hours. While the investigation was on, a person offered to help the cops in the probe. However, the details shared by him made the police suspicious, leading to the arrest of three people involved in the murder.

On January 20, in the morning hours, Nizampura police were alerted about a blood-soaked white gunny bag lying below Rupala Bridge, Bhiwandi. Police rushed to the spot and found a body of a man inside it. The preliminary investigation revealed that the deceased was badly beaten as the body had marks on the head, neck and chest. Police also found a torn medical prescription and a headphone in the pocket. However, there was no mobile phone.

Police identify the body

Assistant police commissioner Prashant Dhole, senior inspector Naresh Pawar were directed to form three teams, led by inspector Deep Bane. "The clothes of the dead body had red and golden colour stains, which are used in a pearl workshop. The prescription found in the pocket was also a clue. We started working on that," inspector Deep Bane said.

"Officers were sent to find the doctor whose name was mentioned in the prescription. In the meantime another team visited more than 100 pearl workshops, questioning whether any employee remained absent," he added. A team of officers tracked the doctor in Bhiwandi through a pharmacist. The doctor, however, told the police that he sees more than 100 patients per day and it was hard for him to give information about this particular patient as the prescription was torn.

ACP Dhole received information that a woman was inquiring about her husband working in a pearl workshop. The woman was traced, however, she did not recognize the body. Later, her elder son had a closer look and identified the body by a birthmark on his cheek and locket (taavij). The victim was then identified as Arman Sher Ali Shah. During a background investigation of the family, the police learned that Shah never left his wife alone.

A ‘witness' tries to derail probe

Cops started technical analysis of the victim's call records. In the meantime, a person named Mohammed Salman approached cops and informed them that he had witnessed the murder and was willing to share details. He showed the police a secluded place where he had ‘seen' the murder and described the accused. While cops were trying to make sketches of suspects, another team working on technical details found a suspected mobile number. "When the number was shared with us, it was of Salman. We took him into custody. On interrogation, he confessed to the crime. Salman revealed that he was told by the main accused to divert investigation till they run away to Uttar Pradesh (UP)," added inspector Bane.

Affair behind murder

Shah, a resident of UP, worked in a pearl workshop where he met Tasleem Halim Ansari, 30. Tasleem befriended him and started visiting his home. He had an affair with his wife. When Shah got to know this, he scolded his wife and warned her not to venture out without him. Tasleem then decided to kill him. He told his friends Mohammed Salman Sheikh, 27, and Bilal Saeed Ansari, 26 about the plan.

On January 19, Salman called Shah to meet Tasleem to settle the matter forever. When Shah showed up, he was mercilessly beaten. When he didn't die, they hit him with an iron rod and later strangulated his neck till death. The accused then packed the body inside a gunny bag and dumped it below the bridge. When the accused heard that the cops had found the body, Tasleem told Salman to meet the officers and divert the investigation by sharing wrong information.

19 Jan
The day the victim Arman Sher Ali Shah was murdered