New Delhi: The Mumbai Crime Branch inched closer to solving the year-old mystery surrounding disappearance of Bollywood actress Laila Khan and five members of her family with the recovery of their bodies and even two cellphones from a farmhouse in Igatpuri near Nashik. But is the Laila Khan story really about the former Bollywood actress? The case that has come to be known after the small-time actress has little to do with Laila Khan and more with her mother Saleena Patel. As more skeletons, quite literally, tumble out in the sensational case, it becomes even more bizarre to know that the six people were killed for Saleena's property. Moreover, the men who killed Saleena killed the others - elder sister Hazmina, twin siblings Zara and Imran and another relative- simply because they happened to witness her brutal murder.
In his tell-all to Mumbai police, prime accused Parvez Tak stated that he and his associate first killed Saleena Patel and then the rest of the family, over her decision to give the power of attorney of her property to her second husband. Tak confessed that he and his friend killed them by pummelling them with sticks and rods, and then buried them in the vicinity of their Igatpuri farmhouse. Tak in his confession has given chilling details of the killings. According to the police, Tak and his friend Shakir Hussein, both residents of Nali Bhunzwah, Kishtwar District, J&K, murdered all six family members a few days before the victims had decided to leave for Dubai. Laila Khan had settled on moving to the Gulf state, with her family, to solemnise her marriage with Sonu alias Vafi Khan, who is the son of close Dawood aide Kamal Jadhwani.
According to Tak’s confession, Laila’s mother Saleena’s decision to make her second husband Asif Shaikh the in-charge of her property in Mumbai before they left for Dubai had made him feel insulted and angry. After hearing her choice, he got into a heated argument with Saleena, which ultimately led to the killing of Laila and five of her family members. According to a source, Tak — who is the third husband of Saleena — was riled at the fact that his wife gave the power of attorney to her second husband.
After confronting her at the farmhouse, he got into a verbal spat with Saleena over the issue. As the quarrel got heated, Tak allegedly pushed his wife due to which she sustained a grievous head injury. When family members rushed to her aid, they saw her lying in a pool of blood, and assumed that Saleena was dead. They started wailing and in a fit of anger attacked Tak, and started beating him up. Hearing the loud noises, Tak’s friend Hussein, who was working as a watchman at the Igatpuri farmhouse, rushed to his help. Soon they joined forces, and beat all the family members to death with sticks and rods.
Sources added that after killing them, the accused carried the bodies to a vehicle, drove a few metres in the surrounding forest area, and buried them. All the corpses were dumped into a single grave, which was dug by Tak and Hussein, along with their jewellery. After burying them the duo drove to Jammu in the same vehicle. Tak who until now had been booked for kidnapping, will now be booked for murders.
Sources added that Tak was introduced to Saleena at a function in Mumbai that was organised by an NGO. They exchanged mobile numbers, and soon started keeping in touch. Saleena invited Tak to Mumbai, who wasted no time in getting here. After receiving Tak at the railway station, Saleena took him to her residence and after staying together for a few months, she proposed marriage, which he accepted. After the alliance, Tak began to oversee all family matters. So the decision to give importance to Asif may not have gone down well with him.
Remains unearthed
After descending on the spot early on Monday morning and working throughout the day and late into the night with no success, the sleuths found the remains buried around six feet deep on the premises on Tuesday evening. Crime Branch official resumed the search operations by 11 am on Tuesday and finally made the discovery around 5 pm.
Police personnel from eight police stations in Igatpuri and personnel from various police training schools in Nashik district were roped in to keep the media at bay. Over a thousand personnel turned the location into an impenetrable fortress by laying siege and barricading a 12-km radius surrounding the property and the routes leading to it, including the three kilometre stretch from the highway.
Digging deep
Five buses full of police personnel from Mumbai reached the spot, Parvez Ahmed Tak was secretly brought in a police mobile van and three teams of forensic experts followed suit. According to the police, Tak has proved a hard nut to crack and had been misleading his interrogators. After pointing out five spots, which were dug up with no success, they finally found the right spot after Tak was treated to stronger measures.
A temporary tent was erected over the spot and the digging began. By 5 pm and four feet into the dig, the sleuths began finding bones. The digging continued till the trench was six feet deep and besides human remains, the sleuths found two mobile phones and a pillow, which they suspect was used in the crime.
Forensic experts have taken the bones, fingerprints and other vital evidence, which will be sent to the Kalina lab. DNA taken from the spot will be matched with Nadir Patel to ascertain if they belong to Laila and the rest of her family.
DCP Ambadas Pote of the CB confirmed the findings. He said, “The investigation is progressing in the right direction and only after the forensic reports it will be established if the remains are of Laila and her family.”
Sonu returns from Dubai
Tak in his confession to the J&K Police said he and Shakir Hussein, both residents of Nali Bhunzwah, Kishtwar District, J&K, murdered all six family members a few days before the victims were to leave for Dubai. Laila Khan was going to Dubai to solemnise her marriage with Sonu alias Vafi Khan, who is the son of close Dawood aide Kamal Jadhwani. Based on Tak’s confession, the Mumbai Crime Branch summoned Jadhwani for questioning. Six hours later, he spoke to his son in Dubai and convinced him to return. Sonu reached Mumbai on Saturday and will be questioned by the CB today to ascertain his involvement in the case.
(With inputs from MiD DAY)
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