Sniffer dog helps crack triple murder case, suspect held from UP

According to police officials, the crime occurred on the afternoon of August 17. Arif Anwar Ali Ansari, who was their tenant and had rented an adjacent property, allegedly attacked the family with a hammer. Ansari was planning a trip back to Uttar Pradesh. He needed money and targeted the Rathod family believing they might have cash and valuables.

“Ansari went to the Rathod’s apartment under the pretense of returning a hammer he had borrowed. When he saw Mukund wasn’t there, he entered the home by force and assaulted Kanchan and Sangeeta with a hammer,” an officer said.

After the assault, Ansari allegedly hid the two women’s bodies in a metal trunk and cleaned the bloodstains. However, when he heard Mukund’s vehicle arriving, he realised he risked being detected. He hid in the house and allegedly attacked Mukund with the hammer when the latter arrived. He allegedly covered Mukund’s body with a bedsheet and fled with the family’s mobile phones and some ornaments.

The crime was discovered on August 30 when Pankaj, unable to reach his family since August 17, arrived in Palghar and found the house locked from the outside. Neighbours were unable to provide information, prompting Pankaj to alert the Wada police.

Police initiated a murder investigation and enlisted a dog squad, which led them to Ansari’s residence. Wada police were then informed, following which a murder case was registered. “A dog squad was roped in to help, and after visiting the spot, it directed us to Ansari’s house. As he was nowhere to be found, he became the prime suspect,” an officer said.

A dog squad had been roped in as police were confused if the deaths were natural or murders.

“The sniffer dog smelled the items found at the crime scene and went directly to a locked rented apartment where Ansari and his family stayed. The dog’s action grew suspicion and when we started inquiring about him, he was nowhere to be found,” an officer added.

Later with assistance from Uttar Pradesh authorities, Palghar police traced and arrested Ansari in the Meja Road police station’s jurisdiction in Uttar Pradesh, who in his interrogation confessed to the crime.