A sessions court recently handed down convictions in the long-standing case of actor Laila Khan and five family members who were killed and buried at their Igatpuri farmhouse. The perpetrator, identified as Parvez Tak, Laila's stepfather, was found guilty of the murders. Laila, formerly known as Reshma Patel, was last seen on screen in the 2008 film 'Wafa: A Deadly Love Story', alongside Rajesh Khanna.
Judge Sachin Balvant Pawar is expected to deliver the sentencing on Tuesday, with the possibility of a maximum penalty of death and a minimum of life imprisonment. Parvez Tak, aged 48 and originally from Kashmir, has been incarcerated since his apprehension in 2012.
In February 2011, Laila Khan, along with her mother Selina, siblings Azmina, Imran, and Zara, as well as her niece Reshma, disappeared without a trace. Laila's biological father, who was Selina's first husband, filed a missing persons' report. Parvez Tak, Laila's stepfather and Selina's third husband, who worked as a road contractor in Jammu and Kashmir, emerged as the primary suspect. This suspicion was further fueled when two of Laila's vehicles were discovered in Kashmir.
According to a report of TOI, Among the motives, police had said Tak suspected Selina of adultery. The chargesheet also said Tak killed the six out of anger as he was not given a share of the money the family had received from business deals with a Dubai-based man known only as Shaikh.
Ujjwal Nikam, BJP's candidate for Mumbai North-Central Lok Sabha, resigned from 29 cases across the state, including eight in Mumbai. Among these, he had examined over 40 witnesses, including Selina Patel's former husbands Nadir Patel and Asif Shaikh, in connection to the case involving the murder of Selina and her four children, including Laila Khan. The prosecution alleged that Parvez Tak conspired with an absconding accused, Shakir Hussain, to orchestrate the murders.