65-year-old found murdered in her house in Ghatkopar

A 65-year-old woman was found murdered in her apartment in Ghatkopar West on Wednesday evening. The police added that the victim had an ongoing property dispute with her stepson

MUMBAI: A 65-year-old woman was found murdered in her apartment in Ghatkopar West on Wednesday evening. The police added that the victim had an ongoing property dispute with her stepson.

A 65-year-old woman was found murdered in her apartment in Ghatkopar West on Wednesday evening. The police added that the victim had an ongoing property dispute with her stepson. (Shutterstock)

According to the Ghatkopar police, a murder case has been registered against an unknown person on the basis of a complaint filed by Saika Ansari, 46, a resident of Himalaya Society, where the deceased also lived.

Saika told police that the victim, Shehnaz Kazi, lived alone in a flat on an upper floor of the building. Shehnaz’s husband, who died in 2018, had married a second wife, Ayesha, since he and Shehnaz had no children together, Saika added.

Ayesha has two daughters and a son from the marriage, and the three would often visit Shehnaz. However, the police said there were frequent disputes between them over some property.

On Wednesday evening, Shehnaz’s sister, Meena Kolgaonkar, called Saika’s daughter, Yemen, saying that Shehnaz was not answering her phone. Yemen went upstairs and knocked repeatedly but received no response. She then sought help from neighbours, who had a spare key to the flat. Using it, they opened the door.

Inside, they noticed the fan was on but the lights were off. In the dark, they called out to Shehnaz but got no reply. When the lights were switched on, Yemen and the neighbours found Shehnaz lying in a pool of blood near the kitchen door. Bloodstains were visible on the door too, they noticed that she had a head injury, with blood flowing onto her upper body and hands.

The residents immediately alerted the building’s society, the victim’s relatives, and the police. A team from Ghatkopar police reached the spot and rushed the deceased to a hospital, where she was declared dead.

“We have registered a murder case and are investigating the matter from all angles,” said a police officer from the Ghatkopar police station. He added that they are examining CCTV footage from the building and surrounding areas and speaking to residents as part of the probe.