Sources say they are unsure whether or not Brussels-based man whose custody is being sought is behind bars; the Pydhonie police, who are investigating the matter, are in touch with the Belgium authorities to seek Singh’s custody, but sources told mid-day they weren’t sure whether he even was behind bars
The victim Arshad Ali Shaikh (left) and Jagpalpreeth Singh, the NRI
The Mumbai police have lost track of Jagpalpreeth Singh, a Brussels-based man of Indian origin who was allegedly involved in the killing of a deaf-and-dumb individual. On August 5 last year, Arshad Ali Shaikh, 33, was murdered by his friends Jay Pawan Chawda, 32, and Shivjeet Singh, 34, at a house in Pydhonie. They killed Shaikh with a hammer and broken beer bottles before packing his body into a suitcase. The two intended to dispose of the body on an express train at Dadar platform 11 but were intercepted by the railway police. Later, Shaikh’s wife, Ruksana, was arrested in connection with the case.
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The Pydhonie police, who are investigating the matter, are in touch with the Belgium authorities to seek Singh’s custody, but sources told mid-day they weren’t sure whether he even was behind bars. “For the past six months, we have been trying to seek the custody of the accused. After issuing a blue corner notice and a look-out circular, the Belgian authorities told us that Singh had been arrested. However, we are not aware whether he is still in jail or whether he was set free. The CBI has still not received any communication from them,” a senior officer said on condition of anonymity.
According to the police, they discovered Singh’s involvement through the thorough scrutiny of the phones of the accused. “Jay and Shivjeet were in constant touch with Singh. On August 5, both the accused had video-called Singh and showed him how Khan had been murdered,” said a police official.
The police have filed a 300-page charge sheet, mentioning that Singh’s custody was crucial for the investigation into the case. “We suspect that there are two reasons why Singh would have been involved in this matter. The first is Singh wanted to prove his dominance in the city and the other reason is that he held a grudge against Shaikh whom he suspected of having an affair with his girlfriend in India. We need the custody of the accused to learn the actual motive behind the crime,” said the police.
