Maulana Arrested for 2020 Murder of 16-Year-Old in Thane

A 33-year-old maulana has been arrested by Thane police for the 2020 murder of a 16-year-old boy. The arrest brings the total number of persons held in the case to two. The victim had gone missing in 2020, and the investigation uncovered severe criminal elements, leading to new charges.

In a major breakthrough, Thane police have arrested a 33-year-old maulana in connection with the 2020 murder of a 16-year-old boy. This arrest marks the second in the case, significantly advancing the ongoing investigation, authorities confirmed on Saturday.

The boy, Shoheb Rashid Sheikh, had disappeared on November 20, 2020, from the Navi Vasti area in Nehru Nagar. Following his disappearance, Bhiwandi Town police initially filed a kidnapping case. As the probe deepened, charges under section 377 of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act were added as recently as 2023.

Investigators revealed that one suspect, Nazir, was apprehended in Kalyan. Another suspect, maulana Gulab alias Ghulam Rabbani Sheikh, was captured in Roorkee, Uttarakhand, after assuming a false identity. Rabbani allegedly confessed to murdering and dismembering the boy's body. Police excavated the site, uncovering skeletal remains. The victim's family demands strict punishment for the accused, who are now in police custody for 14 days.

(With inputs from agencies.)