Mumbai: A 30-year-old garment businessman was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly murdering his employee and disposing of the dismembered body at sea.
According to the police, the incident dates back to about 10 days ago, when the victim, Ashok Gaud, 40, learnt about the accused Wahid Ali Shaikh’s illicit relationship with his wife. Shaikh invited Gaud to his garment unit and offered him alcohol. After Gaud became intoxicated, Shaikh allegedly stabbed him to death.
Police said the accused then cut the body into two parts and dumped them in a drain near his factory in Malvani. The remains are believed to have travelled through the nullah into the sea.
“On Monday at around 9.30 am, Gaud’s torso, packed in a gunny bag, was found floating near the landing point at Juhu Koliwada. The body was spotted by a police constable on patrol duty, following which Santacruz police were alerted,” said a police officer.
While examining the partially decomposed body, police found a purple stone ring on the victim’s finger. Photographs of the ring were circulated on police station WhatsApp groups, leading to a response from Malvani police, who said Gaud’s wife had filed a missing person complaint. This helped police identify the victim within 12 hours.
The police’s investigation has revealed that Shaikh was the last person seen with Gaud before he disappeared. Police scanned CCTV footage from Shaikh’s garment unit and found visuals allegedly showing him dumping bags into a nearby drain.
During interrogation, Shaikh confessed to the murder, the officer said. “The CCTV footage corroborated the sequence of events. The accused admitted to killing Gaud and disposing of the body.”
Police are searching for the murder weapon and the missing lower part of the body, and are also probing whether Gaud’s wife had any role in the crime.