Accused in Mahim beach murder a minor

Victim Wasim Chaudhary was apparently blackmailing one of the accused

A week after a 30-year-old Mankhurd resident was stabbed to death on Mahim beach, the police have found that the accused, who was with the victim at the time of the attack, is a minor. The girl, who had knife wounds, has been admitted to the ICU of Sion hospital. The cops said the girl is 16 years old.

The police probe has revealed that the girl's brother-in-law had instigated her to kill the man, Wasim Chaudhary. Apparently, Chaudhary was blackmailing one of the accused, Kamran, and often demanded money from him.

On the night of February 2, Chaudhary and the girl, both residents of Shivaji Nagar, went to Mahim Dargah. Around 2.30 am, the girl went to Bhabha Hospital, Bandra, with injuries on the right side of her neck. The hospital called the Mahim police, who later found that Chaudhary was killed when he and the girl were sitting amid tetrapods.

The cops then arrested two locals from Shivaji Nagar, while allegations of the girl's involvement surfaced. On February 6, her brother-in-law was also arrested and was found to be the main conspirator. All the accused are in police custody.

"It has been found that the girl is below 18 years. Documents show her age as 16 years 6 months. We have asked doctors to determine her exact age through tests," said Pravin Kadam, senior inspector of Mahim police station.

The girl is being treated at Sion hospital. She has sustained 5-6 slashes on her neck. Police sources said the injuries are self-inflicted. "After the girl is discharged from the hospital, we will produce her before the Juvenile Justice Board. She also has some illness and we will ask the Board to consider the same," said another officer.