A 21-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly murdering the husband of a woman who refused his marriage advances, in a disturbing case that unfolded in Vashi, Navi Mumbai.

Police identified the accused as Aminur Ali Ahemadali Molla, a local resident who is believed to have been infatuated with the victim’s wife, Fatima Mandal, 25. The victim, Abubakar Suhadali Mandal, aged 35, was reported missing by his wife on the night of July 21, after he failed to return home from work and could not be reached by phone.

During the missing person’s report, Fatima informed officers that Aminur had recently proposed to her and had been persistently pressuring her despite her marital status. Acting on her account, officers began investigating Aminur’s possible involvement.

Body of the Victim Found from Vashi Creek

Subsequent inquiry led police to recover Abubakar’s body from the Vashi creek on July 23. The body had reportedly been concealed in a sack and disposed of in the water. According to investigators, the killing occurred sometime between July 21 and 22.

To cover up the crime, the accused allegedly discarded the victim’s clothes and belongings in a nullah (drainage canal) near Panvel-Sion Road, hoping to destroy evidence. “The woman was reportedly being pressured by the accused to marry him, and her refusal could have triggered the crime,” a police official stated.

Technical surveillance and other leads allowed police to track down and apprehend Aminur within 36 hours of the incident. Authorities are also looking into whether another person might have assisted in carrying out the murder.

Jealous Suitor Kills Woman’s Husband to ‘Clear Path’ for Marriage

The crime appears to have been driven by jealousy and obsessive intent, with the accused reportedly aiming to “remove the obstacle” preventing him from being with Fatima.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Adinath Budhwant confirmed the timeline of the crime, and Sub-inspector Babasaheb Sangale of Vashi Police Station verified that Aminur was arrested swiftly following the launch of the investigation.

The accused has been charged under Section 103(1) (murder) and Section 238 (destruction of evidence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The body has been sent to a government facility for post-mortem examination.

Further inquiries are ongoing to determine the full scope of the crime and whether others were involved.