The Malad police on Saturday arrested a 42-year-old housemaid, her lover and his son for allegedly murdering the maid’s employer — a 69-year-old woman — in her Malad residence earlier this week. The trio brutally killed the elderly woman by forcing her head inside a bucket full of water, and fled after stealing valuables from the house.

According to the Malad police, the accused have been identified as Shabnam Shaikh, 42, Umar Shaikh, 71, and Shehzad Shaikh, 22. Shabnam used to work as domestic help for Marie D’Costa, 69, who stayed with her grandson Neel Raybole, 26, in the New Life Cooperative Housing Society in Malad. The police said that D’costa had taken Shabnam in 15 years ago after finding her on the streets. She was a trusted servant, to the extent that Raybole would pick her up and drop her every day, as she had a deformity in one leg.

“Raybole works with a private firm in the Bandra Kurla Complex and was at work when the murder was committed on Thursday evening. He had applied for a driver’s learning license and the agent he had hired called him to ask for a One Time Password, which was part of the process. However, Raybole’s Aadhar card is linked to D’Costa’s mobile number and Raybole called her to ask her the OTP. When several calls went unanswered, he called his neighbour and asked her to check on D’costa,” said an officer with the Malad police station.

Marie D’costa

The neighbour, who was the only one to have a key apart from D’costa and Raybole, entered the house and was shocked to find D’costa lifeless in the bathroom, beside a bucket of water. She called Raybole who rushed home and took D’Costa to the Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivali, where she was declared dead before admission.

Also read: Mumbai: Three including 71-year-old man held for killing, robbing senior citizen in her flat

The police were subsequently informed and during an inventory of the house, they found that a gold chain, a mobile phone and two smart watches, collectively worth Rs 50,000, were missing from the house. 

“CCTV footage showed Shabnam and two men entering and leaving the building, and one of them was wearing a mask. We worked further on this lead and identified the two men as Umar and Shehzad. We found that Umar, who has three wives, was currently living with Shabnam in her Malwani residence, and that Shehzad is his son from his third wife,” said the officer. 

On Saturday, Umar was picked up from his second wife’s residence in Nallasopara, and his questioning led to Shabnam and Shehzad. They allegedly confessed that they committed the murder with the intention of robbery, but could not get much as only Raybole has the keys to the cupboards in the house.

They were subsequently arrested and charged under sections 302 (murder), 397 (robbery or dacoity with intent to cause death of grievous hurt) and 120(b) (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, and will be produced in court on Sunday.

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