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Syed Firdaus Ashraf in Mumbai
The Mumbai police have arrested three persons in connection with the gruesome murder of four people, three from a family including two children, at Jogeshwari in the western suburb area of Mumbai on July 31.
The main accused Akhtar Baba (name changed), a distant relative of the murdered Zareena Nawab, made a plan with two other accused to enter her flat under the guise of income tax officers.
However, Zareena recognised Akhtar. Feeling threatened on being identified the trio took out toy pistols and threatened to kill all -- Zareena, her two children Abu Bakr (6) and Anis (4) and their maidservant Mangala -- who were in the flat.
Believing the pistol to be a real one, Zareena requested them to spare their lives and take all the cash and gold at home. The trio managed to collect Rs 72,000 from the flat and some gold ornaments.
However, before leaving they tied the hands of all four, strangulated them and set the house on fire.
Zareena's husband Siraj was away in south Mumbai when the crime occurred.
The police got suspicious about Akhtar Baba as he disappeared from his house after the murder. An investigation was carried out to trace Akhtar and the police found him in a lodge in south Mumbai.
Javed Ahmad, Joint Police Commissioner (law and order), said, "The identities of the arrested people have been kept secret because that can hamper further investigations."
Akhtar had taken a loan for his business, but could not repay it and hence hatched a plan to rob the house.
According to the police the trio have admitted their involvement in the crime. However, Ahmad said that the police have not verified whether the trio had any previous criminal records.
The police also managed to get back Rs 34,000 of the stolen money and the gold ornaments.
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