Thane: In a chilling revelation, the Bhiwandi police solved a four-and-a-half-year-old case involving the disappearance of a 17-year-old boy. The boy, Shoaib Shaikh, who went missing in 2020, was found to have been murdered and buried under a shop by a local cleric, Maulana Gulam Rabbani Shaikh. The accused was arrested and he reportedly confessed to the crime during police interrogation.
Shoaib had gone missing from the Navibasti area in Bhiwandi. Despite his family registering a missing person’s complaint at the local police station, there had been no progress in the case for years. Recently, the Crime Branch’s Property Cell reopened the investigation, leading to a major breakthrough.
Details On The Chilling Murder Case
According to an NDTV report quoting police sources, the accused Maulana had allegedly committed a sexual offence involving another minor inside his shop. Shoaib accidentally witnessed the incident, prompting the Maulana to lure him into the shop under false pretences and then kill him by strangulation. He later dismembered the body and buried the remains beneath the floor of his shop located in Nehru Nagar area of Bhiwandi.
In 2023, a local resident reportedly alerted the boy’s family about the Maulana’s possible involvement. The family returned to the police with this fresh lead, resulting in the suspect being taken in for questioning. However, Shaikh managed to escape and went into hiding in another state.
Absconding Accused Traced, Arrested
After an extended manhunt, the police successfully traced and arrested him. During questioning, he confessed to the murder and led police to the location of the remains. A forensic team has since recovered human remains from beneath the shop, which have been sent for DNA testing to confirm the victim’s identity.
The police have booked Gulam Rabbani Shaikh under sections of murder, destruction of evidence, and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Further investigations are underway to determine if any other individuals were involved or had knowledge of the crime.
