Mumbai cops book mystery NRI from Belgium

The victim Arshad Ali Shaikh; (right) Jagpalpreeth Singh, a native of Faridkot residing in Belgium, who was shown Shaikh’s killing by the murderers

The police seem to have zeroed in on the motive behind the killing of Arshad Ali Shaikh, a deaf-and-mute man, in Pydhonie last week. Cops said that the murder could have been orchestrated at the behest of a Belgium-based NRI, who had a grudge against the deceased whom he possibly deemed too powerful in the deaf-mute community.

The matter came to light on August 5, when one of the alleged killers, Jay Chawda, was apprehended by the Dadar GRP after he was caught with Shaikh's body. Upon investigation, it was revealed that Chawda and Shaikh both were speech impaired. The case was transferred to Pydhonie police and two other accused, Shivjeet Singh and Ruksana, Shaikh's wife, were subsequently arrested. Cops said that Ruksana, who was in a relationship with Chawda, also deaf-mute, played an active role in the murder.

Jagpalpreeth Singh, a native of Faridkot residing in Belgium, who was shown Shaikh's killing by the murderers; (right top) Ruksana Shaikh, the deceased's arrested wife

During investigations, the cops came across video evidence in which a Belgium-based NRI, Jagpalpreeth Singh, was seen conversing with an anonymous person and showing him video of the murder on his phone.

According to the investigators, who have been using interpreters to crack the case, the deceased Shaikh was a very prominent and powerful member of the deaf-mute community and women tended to approach him when they faced issues. This did not go down well with some members of the community. There were frequent arguments between Shaikh and other members of the group.

Accused Shivjeet Singh; Jay Chawda

"The accused and Jagpalpreeth Singh knew each other for years and they did not share a good relationship with Shaikh. As the video of the murder went viral on YouTube channels, Jagpalpreeth Singh posted a video on Instagram, saying sorry. We have found the clip and are investigating the matter," said a police source.

According to the police, Jagpalpreeth Singh is a resident of Belgium and originally hails from Faridkot, Punjab. "We have booked him and added Section 61 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita to the case as investigations have revealed that it was a pre-planned murder and Jagpalpreeth Singh, who is sitting in Belgium, had a very active role to play. He was shown Shaikh's killing as it unfolded and we suspect that the killers were working under his instructions," the source added.

On Monday, Shivjeet Singh, Chawda and Ruksana were produced in the Mazagoan Magistrate Court where they were remanded in police custody till August 16.
The police are now investigating whether Chawda and Shivjeet Singh stood to gain monetarily from committing the crime. The police are investigating several videos to determine when they started plotting the crime. "Shaikh was first strangled and then the accused hit him with a hammer. We want to investigate whether both the male accused gained monetarily," the police said in court.

August 5
Day Shaikh's body was found