Laila Khan’s murder mystery nearly resolved, police say

Mumbai: The city crime branch sleuths on Wednesday claimed to have nearly solved the mystery surrounding the murders of Bollywood actress Laila Khan, her mother Saleena and four other family members at their Igatpuri farm house in February 2011.

The breakthrough in the case follows the exhumation of six human skeletons — five female and one male, and the recovery of weapons, an iron rod and two knives — near Khans’ farm house at Igatpuri, 130 km from here.

The exhumation took place during the day-long operation conducted by a team of crime branch police personnel, experts from forensic science and doctors from forensic anatomy and toxicology, on Tuesday.

The breakthrough comes in the wake of the Jammu and Kashmir police handing over the custody of Laila Khan’s stepfather Parvez Ahmad Tak, who has confessed to killing her and her family members, to the Mumbai crime branch sleuths on July 8.

Talking to media persons here, Mumbai’s Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Himanshu Roy said: “The skeletons have been exhumed, placed in bags and sent for forensic testing, including the DNA sampling. Till such time we get the DNA reports, I would not confirm the identity of these skeletons.”

He, however, said: “Since Parvez has led us to those skeletons and he has told us the entire sequence of events that matches other evidence we have with us, it is reasonably likely that these skeletons belong to Laila Khan and her family members”.

According to Roy, the bodies exhumed are believed to be that of Khan’s family members consisting actress Laila Khan. “These are the six persons whom, Parvez says, he has murdered,” Roy said.

“At least three of the skeletons have skull fractures, Other injuries have also been found on the bodies. All these injuries, according to doctors, must have been sustained by them prior to their death,” Roy said.

Investigations have revealed that Parvez, a road contractor from Jammu, has claimed to be the third husband of Saleena and they were living together for two years before he murdered her and her family members, including Laila, at Khans’ Igatpuri farm house on February 7, 2011.

According to police, Parvez, had buried the bodies with the help of Shaikir Hussain, whom he had appointed as a security guard at the farmhouse.

According to Roy, the duo buried the bodies in a 6 feet deep pit. “The pit might have been dug earlier for an underground water tank placed three bodies first. Over the bodies they placed Shahbaz stones covered with them blood soaked mattresses and pillows. Later they placed three more bodies over the mattresses, put once again with Shahbaz stones and covered the entire thing with mud”.

Roy attributed the decision to place Shahbaz stones was to prevent the wild animals from not digging and bringing out the buried bodies.

Both Parvez and Shakir later visited the Oshirwara residence of Khans in north Mumbai, from where they stole jewellery and other valuables.

Later, the duo made good their escape to Jammu and Kashmir, in two cars –Scorpio and Mitsubishi –belonging to Khans.

Roy said that Parvez had told the police he had murdered Saleena in a fit of anger before killing other members, including Laila, as they had been a witness to Saleena’s murder.

According to Roy, the incident happened when the Khans had gone to their newly-renovated farm house along with Parvez for a family holiday in the first week of February 2011.

“One particular night, Parvez and Saleena had a heated argument. An angry Parvez killed Saleena beating her with an iron. Later, when Saleena’s family members confronted Parvez, he also killed them using the iron rod and two knives,” he said.

The police believe that one of the reasons for Saleena’s murder was that Parvez had not taken kindly to her continuing her relationship with her second husband, Asif Sheikh, a builder. Secondly, Parvez had also not liked Saleena giving the power of attorney of her properties, including their Mira Road residence, to Sheikh.

Police say that they would be able to establish the exact motive behind the multiple murders after further questioning. Parvez will remain in police custody till July 19. “If necessary, we will seek the extension of his custody from the court,” Roy said.