'Property disputes may have led to transgender Sonia’s murder'

Karanj police on Saturday continued their investigation of the murder of Sonia Masi by videographing Sonia's vast property to consolidate their documentation of the slain eunuch.

The cops have also videographed all the interrogations related to the case. This tight documentation is being carried out as Sonia had assets amounting to crores of rupees and did not legally have an heir. So far, the police are piecing together details and studying the murder from various angles but have not etched out the main motive.

According to police sources, the murder may have been committed because of property disputes. Among the documented properties were her hotel and office at Ashram Road as well as her residence in Shahpur.

Karanj police are also interrogating Sonia's husband, Yusuf Jaam alias Pilot. The local cops questioned him following his interrogation by the detection of crime branch (DCB) officials. During his questioning, it was revealed that the couple were having a tiff over property.

Pilot admitted that he and Sonia did have a dispute over sharing of property over a month back. According to sources, Sonia had a bungalow at Mt Abu, Rajasthan, which she had transferred to Pilot's name. She had also transferred a bungalow at Vastrapur owned by her to his name. However, Pilot had also sought the hotel on Ashram Road. This had led to an altercation between the two, which ended in Pilot getting roughed up by Sonia with a baseball bat, police sources said.

According to the police, Sonia left behind property worth many crores, but she did not have a will. They expect many family members and close aides to come forward to claim their share.

The cops are also going through all the complaints that have been filed against Sonia at various police stations in the city. These complaints may lead to revelation of names of people who might have had a motive to murder her. Cases were filed against her in Sanand, Maninagar, Sola, Ellisbridge, Shahpur and Naranpura from the city as well as from Surat.

Karanj police also questioned, on Saturday, the owner of the street eatery where Sonia was gunned down. The man loosely described one of the shooters as a male aged around 30 years and wearing a black shirt. The cops will further probe the man to get a proper description which will lead to a definitive sketch of the assailant.

According to police sources, the last call received by Sonia was about a property matter. It was made by one 'Shoiab bhai' who had called her up to collect payment for a recent land deal.

Apart from property, Sonia, who was a self-confessed 'fashionista,' left behind many valuables. The cops are yet to ascertain the value of the booty.

According to the police, Sonia was also paying for the medical treatment of four eunuchs admitted to the VS Hospital who were injured in a fire in New Delhi on November 21. Sonia had also caused a scene after the fire, which is another angle the cops are studying. Sonia was at constant loggerheads with her arch rival Sanju De for the spot of queen of the state-wide eunuch network.