25-yr-old killed by chat friend

By: Vinay Dalvi
Date: 2011-09-10
Place: Mumbai

Accused, who was arrested by Chembur police for chain snatching, confesses to crime saying he strangulated her after a fight
A 25-year-old woman paid a heavy price for falling in love and eloping with a chain snatcher. Her strangulated body was found in the jungles of Mumbra, two days after she eloped with her lover.

Farah Farid Lokhapali's strangulated body was found in the jungles of Mumbra
The woman, identified as Farah Farid Lokhapali, a Vidhan Bhavan employee, had reportedly gone missing from her Kurla residence on August 3, after she eloped with the accused.
On verifying her phone records, the police found that the woman was in touch with the chain snatcher, who is currently lodged in RCF police lock-up. Lokhapali was a resident of Suleman Building, CST Road, Kurla West.
"She had told her parents that she was going for a haldi ceremony at her friend Seema's house. On August 5, the victim's family approached the Kurla police and lodged a missing complaint with them," said an officer from RCF police station.
The Kurla police started searching for Lokhapali. With the help of her mobile number, the police checked some of her call details and learnt that the accused had called her on August 3.
"We then traced the number and found that the accused identified as Ashraf Ali Shaikh was arrested by the RCF police for a robbery attempt," said a police officer.
"Both became friends after Shaikh had mistakenly given a missed call on Lokhapali's cell.
They used to meet each other once in a while, and on August 3, Lokhapali met Shaikh, who took her to Mumbra and allegedly murdered her in the jungle.
The Mumbra police found Lokhapali's body on August 5 in the jungle, but were unable to identify it as there was no identity card on it," said an officer from the Kurla police station.
The police have now informed the family members of Lokhapali and asked them to identify her clothes that are in the Mumbra police station.
"We will also carry a DNA test of the body. Preliminarily, Shaikh has confessed to the crime. He said they had a fight after which he strangulated her.
Shaikh is a criminal on record and the Mumbra police will soon seek his custody from the RCF police. The description of the clothes that the family has given matches with those found on the body," said the officer.
ACP Prabhakar Sawant of Kurla Division confirmed the incident, but he refused to provide any further information.