Inter-sect marriage: Two arrested over kidnapping of newlywed woman

An advocate in Mumbai allegedly staged a kidnapping to help a couple register their inter-sect marriage; the advocate's husband and the auto driver were arrested.

When Shehnaz Shaikh, an advocate by profession, approached Bandra Kurla Complex police station on Monday alleging that two persons kidnapped a newlywed woman near the family court in Bandra and she was assaulted in her attempt to save her, the on-duty officer did not find anything in her narration out of the ordinary.

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A complaint was filed, and investigation began. But when a police team started enquiring in the area but failed to find a single witness to the crime that occurred in a crowded place, they suspected some foul play.

On questioning the auto driver, Faizal Shaikh, who had ferried the couple to the family court, the team discovered that Shehnaz had cooked up a story and in fact she had a role to play in the kidnap that was executed by the girl’s family owing to their opposition to an inter-sect marriage, a police officer said.

Shehnaz, in her statement to the police, said that she received a call from one of her friends, Miraj Bhai, a resident of Pathanwadi in Malad. He informed her that his nephew, 21-year-old Ahmed Yashin Kadiwala, wanted to marry his girlfriend of same age, Rehmat Fatima Sheru, and sought the lawyer’s help in getting the marriage registered, the complainant said.

Ahmed lives in Kashimira with his parents and Rehmat used to live in the same vicinity but recently relocated to Surat along with her parents. Shehnaz said she verified their documents and found that both were major. She then helped the couple marry before the registrar of marriages in Bandra on October 2.

The advocate said the couple was yet to get their marriage certificate and also complete some other formalities for which she called them near Bandra family court around 4pm on Monday.

Around 3pm, the advocate’s husband, Irfan Shaikh, arrived near Bandra court, and the couple reached one hour later along with Ahmed’s brother Mohammed and an unknown auto driver, she said in her complaint. Shehnaz claimed she completed the paperwork and all of them left the family court premises. While Shehnaz and Rehmat were travelling by the auto, the others followed them by other vehicles, the complainant said.

On their way home, the lawyer said they got off the auto a few metres away from the family court as she had some personal work to attend to. While crossing the road, two persons came in a white car and tried to drag Rehmat into their vehicle, Shehnaz said and added that hearing her screams, she tried to intervene, but she was assaulted. She said the two suspects kidnapped the newlywed woman and sped away. The advocate then went to Balasaheb Thackeray hospital in Jogeshwari and after getting first aid treatment, she approached the BKC police, the complaint said.

Investigation revealed that the couple was from two different sects, and the woman was snatched by the two suspects, who are yet to be identified, at the behest of her family, the police officer said.

The police also found involvement of the auto driver and the lawyer’s husband in the crime and arrested them on Tuesday. The two men were produced before a metropolitan magistrate court on Wednesday, which remanded them in police custody. Shehnaz has been issued a notice of appearance before the police.

Shehnaz told the police that the woman was taken by her family members, another police officer said. A BKC police team reached the 21-year-old woman’s residence in Surat but found it locked. Her father’s mobile is switched off. The police have been trying to trace the woman and her parents, the officer added.