Acid attack: Two more arrested

Following the attack,the GRP arrested Nasir Sheikh alias Pintu and his mother Manju for their role. On Sunday,Unit 10 of the Crime Branch arrested Feroze Ayub Memon alias Papa (23) and Feroze Mohammed Zuber Sheikh alias Munna (20).

“Memon has confessed to his involvement in three attacks on Thakur. Last December,he had attacked her with a blade in Malwani,followed by another one with a razor in Nalasopara in January. He was involved in the latest attack too,” said a Crime Branch officer,who did not wish to be named. According to the Crime Branch,Thakur and her family used to stay as tenants at Manju Sheikh’s house in Malwani earlier. Allegedly owing to pressure from Pintu to marry him,Thakur and her family had later shifted to Nalasopara.

“Manju sells fruits in Malwani and also owns a shop that she has rented out in the same area. She also acts as a money lender. She gave Thakur Rs 5 lakh in installments,which the latter was not returning. Thakur had also refused to get married to Pintu. To get back at Thakur,Manju paid Memon Rs 40,000 to attack her,” said the officer.

In a bid to avoid any suspicion,Manju and Pintu allegedly used to accompany Thakur to lodge police complaints following these attacks. As Thakur shared a friendship with Pintu’s sister Ruby,she did not suspect their involvement,said the police. After each attack,Manju would allegedly ask Memon

to leave the city for sometime. She would then allegedly meet him later and pay him money for the job.

According to the police,Manju Sheikh was arrested in Malwani earlier in connection with the murder of a bar girl.