MUMBAI: A 19-year-old woman was shot dead in the Shivaji Nagar area of Govandi on Tuesday afternoon. The police suspect the shooter to be a 25-year-old woman who may have held a grudge against the victim because of a man who loved her. Both suspects have been detained by the police.
The police have identified the deceased as Shifa Shaikh, a resident of Kamal Raman Nagar, who was well known in the area. They added that her father worked as an electrical engineer in the city.
According to the police, the incident occurred when Shaikh stepped out of her house to have breakfast, while other family members were at home. She was allegedly shot at close range, and the bullet got lodged in her head.
“We have learnt that a man identified as Nadeem was in love with the victim, while another woman was allegedly in love with him. This could be the motive behind the murder,” a police officer said, suspecting the other woman to be the shooter.
The officer added that once Shaikh’s family found out that Nadeem was troubling her, they sent her back to Uttar Pradesh for a few weeks. She returned to Mumbai only a month ago and the police suspect that the three of them might have had a confrontation a few days ago which could have led to the shooting.
The police said Nadeem is also suspected to have a criminal record, which is being verified as part of the investigation. “We have identified the accused woman too and are in the process of making an arrest,” the officer said.
Shaikh was initially rushed to Noor Hospital and later shifted to Shatabdi Hospital, where she was declared dead. Her body was sent to JJ Hospital for post-mortem examination.
A case of murder has been registered.