The Mumbai Sessions Court on Thursday has sentenced Salim Ali Ibrahim Shaikh to life imprisonment for the murder of his 20-year-old son, Salim Shaikh, in August 2018.
The tragic incident stemmed from a dispute where the son refused to call his stepmother “Ammi” (mother).
Incident Details
The murder occurred on the evening of August 24, 2018, at the family’s residence in Dongri, Mumbai. According to the First Information Report (FIR) filed by the victim’s biological mother, the altercation began around 9:00 PM and escalated into violence when the son refused to comply with his father’s demand. Fearing harm, the mother left to seek police intervention.
When officers arrived, they found the young man lying in a pool of blood, fatally injured by multiple stab wounds inflicted with a pair of scissors.
Defense Claims Suicide
During the trial, the father claimed the death was a suicide, alleging that his son, influenced by drugs, inflicted the injuries on himself. The victim’s mother initially supported this claim, testifying that her son had harmed himself.
Court’s Findings
Presiding over the case, Judge Dr. S.D. Tawshikar rejected the father’s narrative, stating the medical evidence clearly pointed to antemortem and homicidal injuries. The court reasoned that the mother’s urgent visit to the police station would not align with a suicide scenario.
The father’s actions after the incident also undermined his defense. “A parent would typically stay to help an injured child and seek medical assistance,” the court noted, pointing to the father’s decision to flee the scene as indicative of guilt.
Furthermore, the court observed that the assault was not a spur-of-the-moment act but a deliberate and cruel attack, emphasizing that the use of scissors demonstrated intent to kill.
“The culpable homicide of the deceased is nothing but a murder,” stated Judge Tawshikar, concluding the crime was premeditated.
Mother’s Emotional Conflict
The court addressed the inconsistencies in the mother’s testimony, describing her as caught in an emotional dilemma. “She is an unfortunate woman caught in an emotional dilemma. On one hand, she has lost her child; on the other, her husband faces punishment for the murder,” the judge remarked, acknowledging her attempt to shield her husband from the consequences.
Despite the mother’s unreliable testimony, the evidence overwhelmingly pointed to the father’s guilt. The court’s verdict underscores the grave nature of the crime and highlights the deliberate cruelty involved in taking a young life over a familial disagreement.
