From Sakib to Aman: Meerut police crack year-old case of headless, armless body
Shakib took her to a rented home in Daurala, where they lived for about a month. The woman, however, realised that Shakib, whom she knew as Aman, was of different faith. This led to a fight. Following this, Sakib spiked her drink and strangled her to death.
New Delhi: On June 14, 2019, the UP Police found a decapitated and dismembered body of a woman from Lohia village in Meerut. The ghastly murder had left the nation shell-shocked and created outrage among locals.
A year later, the sensational murder mystery has been solved with the Meeurt police nabbing 6 perpetrators of the horrific crime with main accused named Sakib.
Along with the arrest, came a tale of love and deception, which resulted in the murder of a 19-year-old girl named Ekta Jaswal. She was a native of Ludhiana in Punjab and had eloped with money and valuables to stay with her lover.
Sakib concealed identity, introduced himself as Aman
Sakib, who is from Lohia village worked at a shop that sold talismans in Ludhiana. When he first met girl, he introduced himself as Aman. The two fell in love.
Shakib took her to a rented home in Daurala, where they lived for about a month. The woman, however, realised that Shakib, whom she knew as Aman, was of different faith. This led to a fight.
On Eid, Shakib spiked cold drink and gave it to the 19-year-old, who soon fainted. Shakib then took her to the farm where he strangled her to death. He threw the head and severed arm to hide her identity, police said. The woman had two tattoos on her arms — one of her name and another of her lover’s.
How police cracked murder mystery
It took Police a year long investigation across six states to crack the murder mystery. Upon getting some leads, police sent a team to Ludhiana to track a phone number in question.
On reaching Ludhiana, the police checked the missing reports. The cops found the missing complaint of a girl who had disappeared in May. The police then met the family of the missing girl and learned that they suspected her to have eloped with her lover.
Sakib changed photos on girl’s phone to mislead family
Ekta’s family told the police that she had gone missing in May and had also taken her jewellery. They suspected that she had ran away with Aman, her lover.
They also informed police that she was active on social media as photos were being updated on her phone, from time to time.
When police located and grilled Aman, he confessed that he was actually Mohammad Saqib. He admitted that Saqib had been uploading photos of the deceased on social media.
Sakib tried to flee when caught, shot
Along with Shakib, Meerut police has arrested his brother Mussarat, father Mustkeem, sisters-in-law Reshma and Ismat and friend Ayaan.
Following the arrests on Monday, police held a press conference saying they had solved the murder. However, a gun fight took place while Shakib was being taken from the press conference venue at the police lines to the police station.
Sakib snatched a pistol from a constable accompanying him and fled. When they chased him, he opened fire and injured a constable.
He then hid in a forested area, which police surrounded with the help of local villagers. Sakib continued to fire, forcing police to retaliate. He suffered injuries and was admitted to a hospital, police said.