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Accused wanted to push sisters into prostitution: Stepfather

Sep 24, 2016 09:52 AM IST

MUMBAI: Parvez Tak, facing trial for murdering starlet Laila Khan and her family, wanted to push her and her sisters into prostitution in Dubai to earn more money, according to Asif Shaikh, the second husband of Laila’s mother Celina.

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Shaikh is the fifth prosecution witness being examined by special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam before the court conducting the trial against Tak for murdering Laila, her mother Celina, older sister Azmina, twin siblings Zara and Imran and cousin Reshma. The family went missing in February 2011. Their bodies were later found buried in a pit at a farmhouse that Laila owned in Igatpuri.

Shaikh told the court he knew Tak as Celina had married him after her divorce from Shaikh.

Shaikh said he had cordial relations with Celina’s children from a previous marriage, that he would to visit them frequently and that this irked Tak. “Celina told me Tak did not like my visits,” Shaikh told the court. He said Tak did not work and had no source of income, and would fight with Celina over money.

“Azmina, Zara and Reshma would tell me Tak always asked them to go to Dubai to earn money. But the girls were not ready. Tak used to harass and threaten them,” Shaikh said. In a further clarification, Shaikh said Tak wanted the girls to get into prostitution to earn more money.

According to the police, Tak killed Laila and her family because, in 2010, Azmina, Reshma and Zara went to Dubai and worked with a person known to Tak, but refused to share their earnings with him. The crime branch said in its charge sheet this offended Tak.

He held the grudge and hatched the conspiracy to eliminate the entire family and take their property. Tak planned to take the family to their Igatpuri farm house, where he hired an associate and wanted accused Shakir Hussain Wani as the watchman. Wani helped him kill the six people and bury them. He set the house on fire to destroy evidence. Shaikh said that on February 7, 2011, he was at Laila’s house, where Zara told him Tak had been calling all family members to Igatpuri fora holiday. Three days later, Shaikh got a call from Prakash Mengal, a watchman at the Igatpuri house, saying there was smoke there. Shaikh said he tried to call everyone, but couldn’t reach them. When he went to Celina’s house, he found it locked. He asked the watchman, who told him none of them returned, except Tak. Tak told him “madam and children” were in Kashmir for a wedding and won’t return for a few months. Shaikh will be cross-examined by defence lawyer Wahab Khan.

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