Elderly couple’s murder case: PCR of accused duo extended till 26th
| Date :23-Apr-2019 |
Staff Reporter:
The COURT on Monday extended the police custody remand (PCR) of accused Mohammad Ikhlaq Mushtaq Khan and Aishwarya alias Priyanka Champati involved in elderly couple’s murder case till April 26. Aishwarya (24), adopted daughter of Shankar Atulchandra Champati (72) and Seema (64), and her boyfriend Mohammad Ikhlaq (23) had killed them with sharp-edged weapons at Plot No 1, Suraksha Nagar, Dattawadi on April 14. Shankar and Seema Champati were against the affair of Aishwarya and Mohammad Ikhlaq. They were opposed to Aishwarya and Mohammad Ikhlaq’s marriage as the boy belonged to a different religion.
When Aishwarya came to know that her father and mother were planning to shift to Pune by disposing of the property, she and Mohammad Ikhlaq hatched a plan to eliminate the elderly couple. Aishwarya mixed Tancodep tablets (sedatives) in water and the liquid was poured on watermelon slices. When Shankar and Seema consumed the slices they felt drowsy. Mohammad Ikhlaq, with the help of Aishwarya, killed Shankar and Seema in their house. Accused Mohammad Ikhlaq and Aishwarya removed Rs 9000 cash and gold ornaments from an almirah and ransacked the house in a bid to create an impression as if thieves killed the couple while looting the booty.
Wadi Police had arrested Aishwarya, an IT Engineer, and cricket player Mohammad Ikhlaq on charges under Sections 302, 459, 203,404 and 120(b) of the Indian Penal Code and obtained their PCR till April 22. As their PCR ended on Monday, senior Police Inspector (Wadi) Rajendra Pathak, who is the investigating officer, produced accused Aishwarya and Mohammad Ikhlaq before the court. Seeking extension of PCR of accused duo, Inspector Pathak told the court that the police wanted to interrogate them further to find out whether or not Aishwarya and Mohammad Ikhlaq had shared the information about their murder plan with any other person.
He told the court that police wanted to seize the vehicle or any other cellphone used by the accused while committing the heinous crime. Similarly, Inspector Pathak also told the court that further custodial of the accused duo was necessary to find out from where the accused procured strips of Tancodep (sedative) tablets. After hearing the grounds cited by the prosecution and arguments of the defence, the court extended the PCR of Aishwarya and Mohammad Ikhlaq for five more days.