The family of the victim, while being happy with rejection of bail, is dissatisfied with police investigation as it has made just one arrest in the case and has till date not secured CCTV footage of the incidence. The family feels police is covering company and more culprits in the case.
By TCN Staff Reporter,
Mumbai: Mumbai sessions court today rejected bail application of Santosh Arekar, 42, the lone accused in the Toyota Service Centre murder case sighting grievous charges against him.
Mohammad Yakub Shaikh, who worked as a cleaner in a Toyota Service Centre, was murdered on the afternoon of September 29, when highly-pressurized air was allegedly inserted into his body through his anus by a colleague after arguments over Qurbani.
(File Photo)
Arekar was arrested on the same day of murder and was charged by police under section 302 (committing homicide). On November 26, he filed a bail application before the Sessions court following which the family of Sheikh intervened in the matter and filed an application against his bail plea.
Today City Civil and Session Judge Malbare rejected bail application after listening arguments from both the sides on the ground that investigation is in progress and there is direct evidence against Arekar besides case being of high gravity.
While the family of Shaikh was happy at the order, according to them, there is much more to unravel about the murder. Speaking to Twocircles.net, Shafia Siwri, daughter of Shaikh, thanked the NGOs and other activists for help.
“The police have consistently tried to evade a thorough investigation of the matter and have clearly taken the side of the company officials. Even after all these days, we have no clear information about the CCTV footage, or whether it even exists or not. The police neither recorded the statements of all the people present at the scene, nor did it inform us when it filed an FIR,” says Siwri.
Moin Khan, the advocate who intervened on behalf of Shaikh’s wife, said they would now write to the Commissioner of Police and other senior officials against the company, Shinrai Toyota, for destruction of evidence under Section 201 of the IPC.
“The company has told police that out of eight CCTV cameras installed at its work place only six were working and the camera at the place of incidence was not working on the very date. Police easily bought this theory”, Moin said.
Victim’s family and their lawyer are pretty sure that police are going hand in hand with company as police never bothered to investigate as to how and when these cameras were not working.
“The company needs to answer important questions regarding the CCTV footage and the attempted cover-up. Also as per their claim that particular camera was not working on the fateful day it gives feeling that the murder was pre-meditated,” Khan added.
When contacted by Twocircles.net, officials of Shinrai Toyota refused to answer the questions, saying the matter is sub-judice. “Whatever we had to say, we have said to the Kalachowki Police Station and we are fully co-operating with them,” said Ganesh Bharvirkar, Vice President, Service, Shinrai Toyota. He refused to answer questions regarding the availability of the CCTV footage.
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