HC raps cops for shoddy probe in case of missing Dahisar youth

Following mid-day's report on Dahisar youth Nasim Shaikh, who is yet to be traced three years after going missing, a division bench of the Bombay High Court came down heavily on officials from MHB police station who are investigating the case. The division bench of Justice Ranjit More and Justice Dr Shalini Phansalkar Joshi expressed its displeasure after the prosecution failed to submit the status report in the case of the 23-year-old who has been missing since July 8, 2014. A complaint had been lodged with MHB police station in Borivli soon after the incident.

Nasim Shaikh

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On September 24, mid-day had reported that Shaikh's family, a team of forensic experts from JJ Hospital, and a team from the MHB and Kelwa police stations had started the exhumation process near Kelwa beach, after a body that had washed ashore there, was suspected to be that of Shaikh's. The corpse had been buried around three years ago, and despite a missing persons complaint being filed, cops hadn't bothered to carry out a detailed post-mor­tem to verify the identity of the victim. The cops were unable to retrieve the skeletal remains.

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Swapnil Ambure, advocate, who appeared for Shaikh's family in the Bombay High Court said, "We pointed out to the court that it has been three years, and the family is still in the dark about their son's whereabouts. The post-mortem reports indicate that the deceased might be in his 30s, while Shaikh was 21 when he went missing."

Ambure said, the bench, on two or three occasions, expressed their displeasure over the investigation. "The court has directed the police to submit all evidence that they have collected in the case," he said.

"Cops are expected to file the­ir probe report before the next date of hearing, which is January 15," said junior advocate Mikhail Dey.

Rajendra Patil, 41, deputy sarpanch of the village, with Shaikh's sister Anusuya Gaud and father Rafiq Shaikh

Anusuya Gaud, elder sister of Shaikh, said, "We are at least happy that the court has taken cognisance of the case. We only want justice." She added that the police had told her that samples from a skull bone piece found on the shore had recently been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory, Kalina for DNA analysis.

But, director KV Kulkarni, at FSL, Kalina said, "We haven't got any fresh samples for the DNA match from MHB or Kelwa police. And, I am doubtful if any DNA can be extracted from a skull bone piece, as claimed to have been found at the shore."