Eight days on, cops arrest man who decapitated Bhiwandi resident

Kajukumar Rajendra Ram, the accused alleged that the victim forced him into having an unwanted sexual relationship, leading to the gruesome act.

THANE: Thane police crime branch on Sunday, arrested a 21-year-old power loom worker in connection with the alleged murder of a 52-year-old co-worker whose headless body was recovered in the forests of Karivali on April 16. The accused, identified as Kajukumar Rajendra Ram, alleged the victim forced him into having an unwanted sexual relationship, leading to the gruesome act.

Anamika story Thane, India - April 21, 2025: Thane Crime Branch has arrested 21-year-old KajuKumar Rajender Ram from Uttar Pradesh after he fled to Uttar Pradesh after committing a murder from Bhiwandi.in Thane,in Mumbai, India, on, monday, April -21, 2025. ( Praful Gangurde /HT Photo )

According to police, Farhat Akhlak Shaikh, residing with his family in Godrej Housing Society in Bhiwandi for the past few years, went missing on April 12. While the family went in search of him, they found his scooter abandoned near a crematorium in Karivali village.

Deputy commissioner of police (crime branch) Amarsingh Jadhav said, “During interrogation, the accused revealed that he knew the deceased from work and claimed that Shaikh was allegedly forcing him into an unwanted sexual relationship although he was married. This led to frequent arguments and abuse to the accused. Ultimately, in a fit of rage, the accused murdered Shaikh and fled to his village.”

CCTV footage from various places in the locality revealed that a man in a yellow shirt followed Shaikh while hiding his face from cameras. It is said that Shaikh’s SIM card was transferred to another device, a few hours after he went missing. Misinformation stating Shaikh’s accident was conveyed to his family and a ransom of ₹3 lakh was demanded by an unidentified person. The amount was later lowered from ₹3 lakh to ₹80,000. The family reported the incident to Shanti Nagar police in Bhiwandi. On tracking the location of the unidentified person, it was noticed that the location was initially Chinchwad in Pune but kept changing as time passed by.

After days of investigation, Shaikh’s headless body was recovered in the forest of Karivali. Based on technical analysis and confidential sources, a team of the crime branch unit 2 located in Bhiwandi and led by senior police inspector Janardan Sonawane, sub-inspector Shriraj Mali, and Ravindra Patil, identified and arrested the accused from his native place in Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh. Further investigation is underway.