The 23-year-old Dawood Shaikh, who allegedly murdered 20-year-old Yashashri Shinde from Uran, wanted to take the victim to Karnataka and marry her. When she refused to go with him, he stabbed her on the afternoon of July 25, said police. Amit Kale, DCP (Crime), stated that Shaikh was pressuring the victim to elope with him to Karnataka. “The deceased was not ready to go with the accused and had even blocked his number on several occasions,” said Kale.
According to the police, the victim's family lodged a complaint against Shaikh in 2019 for harassing their daughter. A case was registered against Shaikh under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, and he spent one and a half months in jail. After getting bail, Shaikh spent some time in Uran in 2019. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he moved to Karnataka, where he worked as a driver under a changed identity. However, he continually tried to stay in touch with the girl. “When the girl blocked his number, he used his relative Moshin’s mobile to contact her,” said Kale. Shaikh had even visited Uran during this period.
Shaikh returned to Uran on July 23 with the intention of killing the girl if she refused to come with him, said police. “After arriving, he insisted the girl meet him. The deceased, who was working in Belapur, took a half-day leave and met him at Jui Nagar railway station on the afternoon of July 24,” said Kale. He added that Shaikh continued pressuring her on the morning of July 25 to meet him and uploaded a photo on Facebook, which the girl requested he delete. “When she agreed to meet him, he deleted the photo,” said DCP Kale.
On July 25, the girl met him again, and Shaikh insisted she come with him to Karnataka. “When the girl refused to go with him, it did not sit well with Shaikh. He used the knife he had brought from Karnataka to stab her multiple times and fled,” said Kale. The deceased tried to contact one of her friends for help, but due to poor connectivity, she could not talk. Later, her mobile was switched off.
After the stabbing, Shaikh sought money from one of his friends and withdrew cash from an ATM near Panvel railway station. Later, he arrived at Kalamboli Circle and took a bus to Gulbarga in Karnataka. Shaikh was arrested early on the morning of July 30 in the Shahpur hill area of Gulbarga district. Shaikh was presented in court in Panvel, where he was remanded to police custody until August 7.
Non-bailable warrant
Meanwhile, it has been learnt that Panvel Court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Shaikh in 2019 case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. Shaikh had spent one and a half months in jail. Later he was released on bail. But the Panvel Court issued a non-bailable warrant against him on July 20, 2024. When asked why police did not arrest Shaikh on July 20, DCP Kale said he had no information about such developments.