Mumbai Sessions Court Hands Life Term to Man for 2020 Murder of Relative
A sessions court in Mumbai has sentenced 39-year-old Afsar Shaikh alias Panchi to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife's uncle, Zulfikar Choudhari, in June 2020 following ongoing disputes over his marriage and personal life.
The prosecution's case was initiated on a complaint filed by Nasruddin Choudhari, the son of the deceased. According to the complaint, Shaikh had married Zulfikar's niece, Rehana, against the wishes of the family, leading to frequent quarrels between the two men. Tension escalated further after Shaikh allegedly entered into a relationship with another woman named Rubina. Zulfikar had objected to the relationship and advised Shaikh against it, prompting Shaikh to threaten him with serious consequences about a month prior to the fatal attack.
The incident took place on the morning of June 12, 2020. Zulfikar, who worked as a dressmaker, stepped out for work at around 9:30 am. Approximately an hour later, an eyewitness alerted his family that Shaikh had attacked him. Eyewitnesses reported that Shaikh stabbed Zulfikar multiple times and threatened bystanders with death if they attempted to intervene. Family members rushed Zulfikar to Rajawadi Hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
During the trial, the prosecution presented testimonies from eyewitnesses, relatives, and neighbours to establish the motive and verify the sequence of events. A video recording of the incident captured on a mobile phone was submitted by the prosecution, but the court discarded the footage because the police failed to follow proper legal procedures and did not examine the individual who recorded it.
Despite the exclusion of the video evidence, the court found the eyewitness accounts and corroborating evidence sufficient to hold Shaikh guilty of murder. In declining to grant leniency, the court noted that the crime occurred in broad daylight and that the post-mortem report documented eleven external knife wounds to vital parts of the victim's body. The court also highlighted the severe emotional and financial impact on the victim's family, noting that Zulfikar was the head of his household.
