Nagpada Accused Demanded Ransom 19 Days After Killing 3-Year-Old

The teenage accused is a South Mumbai college student. His family is also being questioned.

This image is representative of a crime scene. (Photo courtesy: iStock)

The teenager and his friend, who have been accused of strangling three-year-old Zunera Ahmed with the cord of a mobile charger, were produced in the court for juvenile offenders on Monday and sent to a detention home in Dongri near Mumbai. According to the police, the accused demanded for a ransom of Rs 1 crore 19 days after murdering Zunera.

On December 24, JJ Marg police found Zunera’s body stashed next to a water tank on the first-floor terrace of a neighbouring building. The stench was camouflaged by a gutter below.

According to a report by Mumbai Mirror, the accused revealed during interrogation how they had knocked the little girl out with chloroform, strangled her once her family started searching on December 5 and hid the body in plan sight.

They started demanding for ransom days after the murder and used three different SIM cards to cover their tracks. Both the accused are said to be around 17 - the main accused is a South Mumbai college student - though the child’s family is contesting the age.

Zunera’s family now also suspect the boy’s family to be part of the horrific crime, going by their attempts to mislead the investigators in every possible way.