The body of a four-year-old girl, who had gone missing from Mumbai’s Antop Hill area, was recovered from the sea near Colaba on Tuesday. Investigations have revealed that the child was strangled to death before her body was dumped into the water. Police have Detained the girl’s stepfather in connection with the murder.
The deceased, identified as Amayra Shaikh (4), was found floating in the sea a short distance from Sassoon Dock in Colaba. Local fisherman Gopi Dhanu spotted the body in the water and retrieved it using a boat before informing the Colaba Police.
Upon receiving the information, a police team rushed to the spot and took the body into custody. It was then sent to St. George Hospital for post-mortem, where doctors confirmed that the girl had been strangled to death before her body was disposed of in the sea. Initially, a case of accidental death was registered by Colaba Police. However, further investigation traced the child’s disappearance to Antop Hill.
Based on the findings, Antop Hill Police registered a case of kidnapping. The investigation revealed a disturbing motive behind the crime—family dispute. Police have taken the girl’s stepfather, Imran Shaikh, into custody.
According to police, Amayra’s mother, Nazia, had recently married Imran Shaikh after separating from her first husband. Amayra lived with her mother and stepfather at their residence. She reportedly used to call Imran “Abbu” (father), which he disliked. Enraged by this, Imran allegedly took the child to South Mumbai, where he strangled her and dumped the body into the sea.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 4) R. Ragasudha confirmed and stated that the accused has been taken into custody and further investigation is underway.