Cops detain history-sheeter, murder motive not yet known

Cops detain history-sheeter, murder motive not yet known
Three weeks after a 24-year-old woman from Suman Nagar locality in Chembur was murdered in broad daylight, a 23-year-old man, Salim Noor Mohamed Shaikh, who’s from the same locality, was arrested on Sunday. The Nehru Nagar police said that “robbery could be one of the motives”, and will subject Shaikh to narco-analysis tests.

The victim, Karishma Mane, who worked at a garments store in Dadar, had left home for work around 9.30 am on May 24, when she was repeatedly stabbed near the Suman Nagar flyover. The cops distributed sketches of the suspect, and one person came forward to say that he had spotted Shaikh, a history-sheeter, at the flyover minutes before Mane was attacked. Shaikh has been remanded in police custody till Thursday. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone VI) Shahaji Umap said that Shaikh was evasive when the cops questioned him.

“The victim’s purse is missing, so robbery could be one of the motives. Shaikh is evasive about his whereabouts in the days leading to the murder. Also, one of the witnesses had spotted him at the crime scene. We will know about the motive after he is put through a narco-analysis test,” Umap said. Chembur residents said that the area below the Suman Nagar Flyover is frequented by drug addicts and anti-social elements, and the police haven't taken action despite repeated complaints.

A resident, Vikramaditya Dhamdhere, said, “There have been several incidents of snatching chains and bags. We alerted the police but nothing has been done to curb such crimes.”