Forensics team hunts for fingerprints at Laila's flat

Armed with a forensics team, Crime Branch officers visited Laila Khan and her deceased family's Oshiwara flat yesterday, in search of evidence against the prime accused Parvez Tak.

Evidence trail: Sunshine Apartment near Oshiwara police station where Laila Khan and her family lived for 10 years

Khan's family stayed at the flat for 10 years. The forensics team, accompanied by Unit VIII officers, conducted relevant tests for more than five hours at the ground floor and the four bedrooms in flat number 104 of the Sunshine Apartments, located metres away from the Oshiwara police station.

According to the investigating officers, the tests were conducted after Tak, arrested for killing Laila and her family members, confessed that he had gone to the Oshiwara flat to rob jewellery worth lakhs.

Fingerprints have been collected from the cupboard and the locker, and will be matched against fingerprints of Tak found in the Igatpuri bungalow as well as on the murder weapon he used to kill his victims. "We need to match Tak's fingerprints at both the places to corroborate his confession," said a Crime Branch officer. Tak had confessed that he had killed the family for property.

Tak also revealed that there was a party at the Oshiwara apartment the day before Laila, her mother Saleena and siblings left for Igatpuri with Tak.
"We are also looking for documents related to the property," added the officer.

Deepak Patangare, senior police inspector of unit VIII, confirmed the development, but refused to comment further.

Meanwhile, a team of Crime Branch officers is on the lookout for Shakir Hussain in Kashmir. Crime Branch officers said that they had information that Hussain, who helped Tak in the six murders, has been hiding in Kashmir. "We are sure that Hussain is in Kashmir, but don't know exactly where," added the officer.u00a0