
THANE: A Mumbra resident has been arrested for allegedly killing his six-month pregnant wife by assaulting and kicking her in the abdomen.
According to police, the accused did not want a child and had earlier forced her to undergo an abortion.
The deceased has been identified as Mehajabeen Karmuddin Sheikh, 28, while the accused is her husband, Saif Mohammad Sheikh, a resident of Haji Complex in Mumbra.
To escape the abuse, Mehajabeen sold her gold jewellery and rented a separate house for herself and her husband. However, the accused and his family allegedly began demanding the jewellery back. When she could not return it, the harassment intensified. During this period, she became pregnant but was allegedly forced to abort.
On June 10, Farzana received a call from her son-in-law’s father informing her that Mehajabeen had been admitted to the hospital in critical condition. By the time she reached the hospital, her daughter had died. Doctors told her Mehajabeen showed signs of prolonged starvation and had suffered a severe abdominal injury that caused internal bleeding. When questioned, Saif allegedly claimed the fetus had “kicked or hit her” internally.
The next day, when Farzana visited her daughter’s house to collect her belongings, neighbours told her they had heard loud noises from the flat on June 10, suggesting Mehajabeen had been assaulted. They also said they had found her unconscious and rushed her to hospital. Suspecting foul play, Farzana lodged a complaint against her son-in-law and his mother.
Saif Sheikh was arrested and remanded to four days’ police custody.