Mira Road hostage drama: Man turned to burglary after losing Rs 2 lakh in fantasy cricket

Fatima Yousf Jwale with a badly bruised eye (far left) Mohammed Salim Chaudhary

The Mira Road Crime Branch Unit 1 arrested the accused, who held 72-year-old senior citizen Fatima Jwale hostage for eight hours and stole four gold bangles worth over R5 lakh before fleeing her home. The accused confessed to the crime, telling the police that he committed it after losing a cricket fantasy game.

The arrested individual, identified as 23-year-old Mohammed Salim Chaudhary, is a resident of Mira Road. "The accused previously worked at a jeweller's shop on Mira Road. He would often distribute pamphlets and New Year calendars in buildings and societies," said a police officer.

Accusesd confesses

"The accused had previously visited the victim's house to distribute New Year's calendar. During this visit, the victim mentioned a fire that had broken out in her house and that she was looking for an electrician. The accused, having learned that the victim lived alone, devised a plan. Pretending to be an electrician, he returned to the victim's house, where he held her hostage for eight hours," said an officer.

Fatima with her niece Sana Shaikh (right) and a relative Nazia Sheikh (middle). Pics/Hanif Patel

During the interrogation, the accused revealed that he was an avid player of cricket fantasy games and had lost nearly Rs 2 lakh. He had borrowed this money as a loan from jewellers. Simultaneously, he faced financial demands at home. Desperate for money, he resorted to theft.

"The accused, a resident of the Flower Valley Complex on Mira Road, lived in the same building as some of the victim's relatives. After committing the crime, the accused took a rickshaw back to his residential building. CCTV footage showed him arriving at the complex. To avoid recognition, he put on a burqa after getting out of the rickshaw," said an officer.

The building where Fatima was staying

"During the incident, Chaudhary made a call using his mobile phone, and we examined the tower records to track the location of one number, which led us to the Flower Valley building," said the police officer.

Accused after being apprehended by Crime Branch officials

"We had asked the victim's relatives if any of their family members lived in the Flower Valley Society. This led us to a family that was suspected, and we inquired with them. However, after checking the CCTV footage from the society, we discovered Chaudhary's involvement, " the officer added.

"The police notified us about the arrest and we are relieved that the accused has been caught," said the victim's niece," Sana Shaikh.