Sandhya Singh case: Phone records point to contract killer’s role

While the crime branch officials maintain that contract killer Mohammed Arif Hassan has not yet been arrested in the Sandhya Singh case, they are looking at his possible involvement in the murder case, said sources.

While the crime branch officials maintain that contract killer Mohammed Arif Hassan has not yet been arrested in the Sandhya Singh case, they are looking at his possible involvement in the murder case, said sources.

HT Image

The mobile phone records showed that on December 13, 2012, Hassan was near the same bank in Nerul from where Singh went missing.

According to a witness, Singh was last seen with an autorickshaw driver. In December 2012, Hassan drove a stolen rickshaw near NRI Colony in Nerul, the area where Singh lived.

Another witness claimed that Hassan had taken a woman wearing sari in his vehicle. However, Singh was wearing salwar kameez when she went missing. “We are verifying the statements and questioning Hassan to ascertain facts,” said sources.

Hassan has apparently told the crime branch that on December 13, he was at his native place. The crime branch is verifying the information.

The crime branch officials have recovered an illegal country-made revolver from Hassan. He has been booked in an Arms Act case and has been remanded in police custody till March 21.

Himanshu Roy, joint commissioner of police (crime), on Friday, said, “Hassan has been arrested in an Arms Act case. He will be questioned in Singh’s murder case too.”

Singh, sister of musician duo Jatin-Lalit and former actors Sulakshana and Vijeta Pandit, went missing on December 13, 2012, with jewellery worth Rs. 20 lakh.

In the last week of January, an ornithologist discovered some skeletal remains in the marshy land adjoining the Vashi creek and informed the police.

The forensic analysis of the skeletal remains later established that they were Singh’s.