The crime branch of Mumbai Police seems to have cracked the Laila Khan mystery. The police have recovered six human skeletons from the missing Bollywood starlet’s farmhouse in Nashik district’s Igatpuri area, along with some of her belongings and the weapons that were apparently used to kill the woman and her relatives.

After digging the farmhouse courtyard for hours, the police team exhumed the skeletons which were suspected to be of her and the missing relatives. The articles recovered along with the bodies might prove to be crucial evidence in the prosecution.

Starting their massive operation on Tuesday morning, the police team continued with it till 1 am on Wednesday. They left the spot with their find loaded in trucks. The police have reportedly found the skulls and bones wrapped in bed-sheets and plastic bags.

The police have also recovered an iron rod, a knife, four rings of gold and diamond, a gold chain, women’s clothes, bed-sheets and pillows along with the skeletons. They suspected, as described by main accused Parvez Tak, that the iron rod and the knife were used in the crime.

The development assumes significance as the main accused, Parvez Tak, had been trying to mislead the police with conflicting stories. Now the police would conduct DNA tests on the skeletons before drawing final conclusions.

The crime branch has been investigating the mysterious disappearance of Laila, her mother and three siblings. However, the questions remain as to why it took them so long to get their act together in the case.

Hunt on for Tak’s co-accused in J&K

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Police has launched a manhunt to arrest Tak’s co-accused, Shakir Hussain, who is a resident of Kishtwar district. Tak had named as his associate in the crime.

Tak — Laila’s stepfather — was arrested by the Jammu Police in some other case a few months ago. In course of his interrogation, Laila’s murder mystery was partially unravelled following which the Mumbai Police took him in remand for his thorough interrogation.

Shakir is said to be a friend of Tak who worked as a cook-cum-watchman at Laila’s farmhouse. He was reportedly employed on Tak’s recommendation.

Some senior police officers were surprised that when Shakir’s name had surfaced initially in the case, why the Kishtwar Police released him from custody.

source by india today