Mumbai: Bhiwandi Cleric Arrested for Murdering 17-Year-Old Witness of Sexual Assault

Mumbai, 17th April 2025: The Maharashtra Police have taken into custody an Islamic cleric from Bhiwandi in connection with the murder of a 17-year-old boy. The cleric allegedly dismembered the boy’s body and buried the remains beneath his shop. What started as a case of a missing person has since been uncovered as a horrifying murder, according to police reports.

The events trace back to November 2020 when the family of 17-year-old Shoaib Shaikh reported him missing at their local police station. Despite nearly five years of searching, no leads regarding his whereabouts surfaced.

Recently, a thorough investigation by the Crime Branch’s property cell uncovered evidence of the boy’s murder.

The incident occurred in the Navi Basti area of Bhiwandi, where Maulana Ghulam Rabbani Shaikh is alleged to have sexually assaulted a minor in his shop. Shoaib Shaikh witnessed this crime and was subsequently killed to silence him.

In his panic over potential repercussions, the cleric lured Shoaib to his shop and strangled him. After killing him, he dismembered the body, burying some parts beneath his shop in the Nehru Nagar locality, while disposing of the rest elsewhere.

Years went by without any sign of the missing boy. However, in 2023, a local resident informed Shoaib’s family about the cleric’s possible involvement in their son’s death. This prompted the family to approach the police, leading to a questioning of the cleric. However, he managed to evade arrest at that time and fled to another state.

Eventually, law enforcement located him and made the arrest. During interrogation, the cleric confessed to the murder, explaining that he killed Shoaib to prevent him from revealing the sexual assault. The forensic team has since collected evidence from beneath the shop, which has been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for analysis.