Bhuj Express murder: Look alike of prime suspect held

Noorealam Mulla

Days, after a 40-year-old woman was found murdered inside a compartment of Bhuj Express, the Government Railway Police (GRP), had detained a look-alike of the prime suspect in the case. It turns out that he was the one they were looking for. However, the cops are still in the process of corroborating forensic and scientific evidences to find out whether he is the murderer.

The arrested accused, identified as Noorealam Mulla, 42, was living on a footpath near Mahim dargah. When the cops picked him up last Wednesday, they had spotted a fresh cut on his body, which they thought he had sustained in a scuffle before the murder. However, they couldn't arrest him then because the knife recovered from him did not have bloodstains. After verifying a number of details through informers, they arrested Mulla.

Speaking to mid-day, Niket Kaushik, GRP commissioner, said, "We have arrested an accused based on suspicion. We are corroborating forensic and scientific evidence in the matter."

Red shirt and cap recovered from murder spot lead cops to prime suspect
On December 7, Dariyabai Lachheta aka Chaudhary was found murdered in the women's coach of Bhuj Express. A cleaner found her lying covered in blood. The GRP had found a red shirt and cap from the spot. In CCTV footage of Borivli station, a man was seen loitering on the premises wearing the same shirt and cap. He had boarded the train from Borivli but did not get off at Dadar. Cops suspect he got down between Mahim and Matunga.

Identification
The cops had found a chit with a number scribbled on it at the spot. When police called up the number, Bhavarlal Chaudhary received it. He was immediately asked to reach Dadar station to identify his relative's body. As he stays quite far from Dadar, Bhavarlal called up another relative of the woman, Ramesh, who stays at Wadala, and asked him to rush to the station. He reached the station around 2 pm and identified the body.

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