The father of a young woman whose body was found last Saturday outside Uran Railway Station allegedly assaulted the main suspect in the case in 2019, after he found that the suspect was in a relationship with his daughter, according to police.
Daud Shaikh, the suspect, knew his victim, Yashashree Shinde, for more than five years, officials said.
“He was in Uran back in 2019, working as a labourer, when they met. After the family of the girl learned about their friendship, the father assaulted him in public and lodged a case against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act,” an official said.
“After Shaikh was granted bail, he went to Karnataka. From the call records, it is evident that the duo was in touch. We suspect that all these years, he had a grudge against her father for insulting him in public and getting him arrested in 2019,” the official said.
The accused, who was working as a bus driver in Karnataka, is being traced by the police. “One team has already left for Karnataka and we have traced his house as well. It is just a matter of time before he is arrested,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone II) Vivek Pansare said.
Shinde, a resident of Uran, who was missing since July 25, was found dead early on Saturday in the bushes near the station.
