Befriending a friend’s sister cost a 14-year-old boy from Kurla his life. The tailor’s tag on his shirt will probably cost his three alleged killers a jail term.
On Monday, Vinobha Bhave Nagar police arrested three college students for abducting and murdering Kaku Sahebsingh Banwait alias Amandeep. The trio took him to an isolated place at Khalapur in Raigad where they strangled him to death and later smashed his head and face with a stone.
“Fahar Sheikh, 21, Farhan Sheikh, 20, and Salim Malabarwala, 20, were arrested for Amandeep’s abduction and murder. The trio were final-year Commerce students, while Amandeep was studying in std X in Holy Cross High School, Kurla,” said sub inspector RR Sawant of Vinobha Bhave Nagar police station. The blood-stained stone used for the crime has also been recovered.
During interrogation, Fahar Sheikh reportedly revealed that the victim and he were staying in same locality at Bail Bazaar in Kurla (West). Amandeep had become friendly with his 17-year-old sister for the past six months. He had requested Amandeep to discontinue the friendship, but the victim did not pay heed. Finally, he hatched a plan with his two friends to eliminate Amandeep.
The deceased’s father was not available for comment. His neighbour, Machindra Kharatmal, said, “Amandeep was good-mannered boy. His mother died one-and-a-half-year ago. His father is a driver and the elder brother recently passed the SSC exam.”
Fahar and the other two accused met Amandeep on May 18 morning. Fahar asked him to go for a stroll. The four, on two bikes, rode to Kalot village in Khalapur district on the old Mumbai-Pune Highway. There Fahar and the other two beat up Amandeep, strangled him to death and later smashed his head and face with a stone, said Sawant.
When Amandeep did not return home, his father Sahebsingh lodged a missing complaint at Vinobha Bhave Nagar police station. Khalapur police found Amandeep’s body the next day. Finding a Kurla tailor’s tag on his shirt, the Khalapur police visited Vinobha Bhave Nagar police station on May 23. Later, Sahebsingh identified his son’s body at Khalapur hospital.
During investigation, it was revealed that Amandeep was last seen with Fahar. When questioned, the trio confessed to the murder.
