Rice grains, sticker of a firm: How cops cracked a woman’s murder in 2018

On June 21, 2018, police had found the torso in the carton and six severed body parts in plastic bags. Investigators said the woman’s face was highly disfigured, making it difficult to identify her. Local informers and police stations around the area were alerted in a bid to ascertain who she was, but they drew a blank.

Said an officer, “We almost felt there was no evidence. Once again, the team combed through the carton and plastic bags and we found the rice grains. It seemed like someone had transported a rice sack and other items in it. That’s when we noticed a small sticker on the box, with the name of a movers and packers firm in Gurgaon. We decided to pursue this trail…” Investigating teams traced the company’s office and approached them for a list of clients who had used its services in the last two months.

“One of the records showed that a man named Javed had received some boxes from the firm at Shaheen Bagh; this was near the crime scene. We questioned him but he wasn’t a suspect,” said the officer.

The case almost hit a dead-end. Then, officers told Javed that rice grains were found in the carton. Javed immediately reacted and said his tenant, who had recently moved out, had received a carton with ration and grocery items.

Police said on checking the rented apartment, it was found that Javed’s previous tenants were one Hasmat Ali and his brothers. Nearly a week after this, police picked up Hasmat who confessed that he and his brothers allegedly killed the woman.

The deceased was identified as Juhi, a psychology graduate from Chhapra who was married to Hasmat’s brother Sajid Ali, an engineer. The couple, who had two children, had shifted to Delhi in 2016.

“They had regular fights over domestic issues. Sajid was having an affair and Juhi had found out about it. After yet another fight, Sajid decided to eliminate her. He bought the weapon, a dagger, on the night of June 20,” said an officer.

As per police, Sajid allegedly strangled Juhi at their home and used the dagger to chop her body into seven pieces. He called his brother, Ishtiyaque, to help him clean up the blood and pack the body parts in the bags. The duo later called Hasmat, who helped them take the body parts in a Maruti Ertiga car.

The trio allegedly drove to the Okhla forest area and dumped the torso in a carton and the other parts, far from each other. To evade suspicion, they vacated the house and shifted to another rented room in Delhi. They also told Juhi’s family that she was with a friend.

Investigators matched Juhi’s photos with the remains recovered and the appearance matched. Police said a DNA match was also obtained later during investigation.