Maharashtra: Killer couple’s kids keep cops stress-free

Manohar and Purnima Shukla couple’s children. Pics/Hanif Patel

The antics of the one-year-old daughter and four-year-old son of the couple arrested for murdering and disposing of a 28-year-old hairdresser are a stress-buster for the cops at Naigaon police station where they can be seen frolicking these days.

Manohar Shukla, a 34-year-old costume designer, and his wife Purnima are in police custody and being interrogated over the killing of Nayna Mahant whose body they allegedly disposed of in Valsad where they travelled on motorcycle for nearly 170 km on August 9.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Padmaja Bade told mid-day that the cops have asked a court to decide what to do with the couple's children, as their distant relatives are yet to arrive from their hometown in Uttar Pradesh.

The male accused being led away by the cops

"The court has asked us to keep the children with their parents, who are in the custody of Naigaon police," Bade told mid-day. "At the time of interrogation, we asked Purnima why she had joined her husband in the crime as there would be no one to take care of their children. Now she is repenting," Bade said. A cop attached to Naigaon police said, "The presence of the children at the police station is fun for all of us. They are extremely cute. They are like stress-busters for everyone."

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"Visitors are always tired and depressed. But the fun-filled activities of these children dispel their stress. We love these kids and feel sorry for them as they are too innocent to understand why they are here," said a police officer. The girl often pulls the spectacles from policemen's faces after climbing atop desks at Naigaon police station. But the cops do not scold her. ‘It feels like I am working from home," said a police officer.

The couple at the victim's house with one of their children

After chasing dreaded criminals and in the midst of operations to nab anti-social elements, the cops never forget to bring snacks and milk to Naigaon police station for the children. "The four-year-old boy plays around the police station and comes back but the girl remains with Purnima most of the time," said a police officer.

The police custody of the couple ends on Sunday and the cops feel that the fun-filled activities of the children will be sorely missed. "We will miss the children when they go. We love playing with them," said another officer. A lawyer, Seema Adate, said, "The police should inform the Child Welfare Committee of Palghar district so that the innocent children can be sent to a childcare institute."

‘Couple used mustard'

Meanwhile, an officer privy to the investigation told mid-day that after killing Mahant, the killer Shukla couple packed the body inside a trolley bag and travelled on a motorcycle to Valsad in Gujarat. "To ensure the fast decomposition of Mahant's body, the killers had poured more than one kilogram of mustard on the body," said the officer.

"Her body was absolutely decomposed and the cause of death was not ascertained in the post-mortem. We have seized a bucket which has some water and sent it to the forensic lab," said the officer.

August 9
Day body was disposed