Grandmother died trying to save two children, police say

MUMBAI: Based on a preliminary inspection of the crime scene, the Malvani police suspect that 47-year-old Babli Shaw died trying to save her two grandchildren —

MUMBAI: Based on a preliminary inspection of the crime scene, the Malvani police suspect that 47-year-old Babli Shaw died trying to save her two grandchildren — 10-year-old Sania and 13-year-old Aryan — from their killer on Thursday morning. Sania was a Class-5 student of Mother Teresa School in the area and Aryan was in Class 8.

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The house was covered in blood — the police’s first clue that there had been a struggle — and the killer left a trail of blood while escaping from the chawl. The blood trail ended about 100 meters away, in another alley.

The police also found a bloodstained hand print on a wall near the exit of another alley. The injuries Shaw suffered - to her head, neck, chest and back - were another sign that she had tried to fight the killer.

A forensics team has taken possession of the kitchen knife used in the murders and collected various other samples from the crime scene. The police suspect that the victims knew the killer as there was no sign of a forced entry. Five teams from Malvani police station interviewed Shaw’s neighbours and acquaintances for leads through the day.

Originally from West Bengal, Shaw came to Mumbai around 30 years ago. She initially worked in a bar. Her daughter, who died of an illness many years ago, also worked in a bar as a singer.

Shaw was initially opposed to her daughter’s marriage to Ismail, a local fish seller. However, a year after they wed, Shaw accepted their relationship. When her daughter died, Shaw took her grandchildren in. Ismail, meanwhile, married another woman, with whom he has a son.

Abdul Mannan Bastavi, a local resident, said, “[Ismail] continued to show up at Shaw’s house but she did not like that. They fought often, and Shaw told him to stop visiting her as she was taking care of the children.” Bastavi was one of the first people to spot the bodies and alert the police on Thursday morning.

Over the years, Shaw built two floors above her house, which she gave out on rent. A moneylender, she would give people loans against t heir houses. She spent the money she earned through rent on the children’s education.