Wallet helps cops pocket murder case

MUMBAI: The only clue was a woman''s purse. But this lone item led to the arrest of two youngsters who murdered a 24-year-old youth and dumped his body at the Bandra Reclamation promenade recently.
On Sunday, the police arrested siblings Abdul Sallaq and Aslam Sheikh for killing their neighbour Rashid Khan and abandoning his body under the bridge near the Bandra-Worl i sealink site.
When the body was first discovered by a police patrolling unit, there were gashes on the head and the face was unrecognisable.
"It was after we discovered the purse that we got on to the trail," said assistant inspector Sanjay Surve. "There were phone numbers inside which led us to the killers."
The numbers belonged to a private contractor, VinodGujri,who was summoned to the police station.
Gujri failed to recognise the deceased but suggested some employees whom he could have given his number to. After questioning his employees, the police zeroed in on Abdul Sallaq (24) who lived in the same area as the deceased.
After police questioning, Sallaq confessed to killing Khan.
The sequence of events was as follows. Sallaq and his brother Aslam Sheikh (25) were at a busstop when Sallaq saw Khan waiting there with a friend. Followed a minor dispute, after which Khan threatened to get violent. In retaliation, Sallaq and Sheikh hurled a boulder at him which killed him instantly.
Khan''s companion fled, as did the attackers after dumping the body under a bridge. The purse which they accidentally dropped belonged to their sister. And it was this clue that helped the police solve the whodunit.