Family of Kurla killings suspect claims he’s innocent

MUMBAI - Around 1,000 people led by the family members of Javed Shaikh, arrested in the rape and murder case of a minor girl, Friday gheraoed (surrounded) a police station in Kurla suburb of north-east Mumbai and pelted stones at the officers, claiming he was innocent.

The crowd shouted slogans outside the Nehru Nagar Police Station, demanding immediate release of 19-year-old Javed.

“Police told us that Javed will be released after questioning. It has been more than 24 hours since he was arrested and they have still not released him,” an angry protestor said.

Although the police officers were seen pacifying the crowd, they refrained from speaking to reporters.

Later, they also shut the gates of the police station to keep the crowd from entering the office. A light baton charge also followed to control the crowd.

Javed was arrested Wednesday and remanded to police custody Thursday for 14 days. Police said his DNA sample matched with skin samples found in the nails of victim Nusrat, who went missing while playing near her house and was found dead in a chawl at Vatsala Tai Nagar June 19.

Javed is from the same neighbourhood in Kurla and worked for a local cable operator.

Before Nusrat, a nine-year-old girl was found raped and murdered on the terrace of the police quarters opposite Nehru Nagar on March 7.

On Feb 9, the body of a missing five-year-old girl was found in a gunny bag in a building in Nehru Nagar.