Govandi resident gets life term for killing aunt over property dispute

MUMBAI: A 28-year-old man was sentenced to life for murdering his aunt over a property dispute, with evidence proving his guilt, says the court.

MUMBAI: The Dindoshi sessions court on Tuesday sentenced a 28-year-old Govandi resident to life imprisonment for killing his aunt over a property dispute. Additional sessions judge Ashwini Lokhande held that the prosecution had proved that the accused entered the house of the deceased by holding a knife with the intent to assault her.

Govandi resident gets life term for killing aunt over property dispute

The incident was first reported on April 17, 2018, by a tenant who resided in the same building as the deceased woman, Raisa Shaikh. The prosecution said there used to be a dispute regarding ownership of the rooms between Raisa and her brother-in-law’s family. Around 10.30pm that day, the accused allegedly came down from a room with a knife in his hand and blood oozing from his wrist. Raisa’s son, Osama, shouted saying her brother-in-law’s son, Tausif, stabbed her in the neck with a knife. She was taken to a nearby hospital but passed away due to fatal injuries. Following this, a murder case was registered against Tausif at the Powai police station. The prosecution submitted that the guilt of the accused is proved beyond reasonable doubt, adding his motive to commit murder was also proved through evidence of the witnesses.

Tausif’s advocate, on the other hand, held that there was no dispute between him and Rasia. They said the police falsely implicated Tausif in the case. “It is prosecution’s case that there is property dispute between father of accused and deceased Raisa, in respect of various rooms at Pailwan Chawl, Filter pada, Powai, owned by Saida Shaikh, mother-in-law of deceased Raisa,” observed the court.

Relying primarily on Osama’s deposition, the court said the prosecution successfully proved Tausif committed the murder in connection with the dispute over rooms occupied by Raisa, and sentenced him to life imprisonment.