The Jammu Crime Branch has arrested Sher Singh, a resident of Hisar, Haryana, in connection with the murder of Mehjabeen Sheikh, a woman from Mumbai, in the Sainik Colony area last month. The case, initially disguised as an accident, has raised serious concerns due to the alleged involvement of several police officials, who have now been suspended.
Sher Singh was taken into custody from the Gandhi Nagar area on Friday as part of the ongoing probe into a flesh trade racket reportedly operating in the Sainik Colony locality.
The Crime Branch also questioned a local resident from the Channi Himmat area, though the suspect was absent during the visit.
The tragic incident occurred on August 21, when Mehjabeen Sheikh, 30, along with her sister Fatima Akil, 21, and Jaspreet Kour, 28, of Ludhiana, were admitted to a private nursing home in Channi Himmat with serious injuries. Mehjabeen later succumbed to her injuries at the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu.
Initial police reports attempted to pass off the bullet injuries as results of a road accident. However, due to the suspicious nature of the case, it was transferred to the Crime Branch. Consequently, Inspector Deepak Pathania and Sub-Inspectors Wasim Bhatti and Rohit Sharma were suspended for allegedly trying to cover up the murder.
Sources reveal that further police involvement is under investigation, as the three suspended officers may be attempting to mislead investigators.
Fatima Akil, who was discharged from GMC Jammu on September 20, has been questioned extensively by the Crime Branch to shed light on the circumstances of her sister’s murder.
The case has been re-registered as a murder under Sections 103(1)/109/332(b) BNS and 3/25 of the Arms Act at Channi Himmat police station before being handed over to the Crime Branch for detailed investigation.
