A 45-year-old carpenter allegedly poisoned his 20-year-old daughter’s chicken biryani before strangling her to death after she opposed his plans to remarry, police said.
A 45-year-old carpenter allegedly poisoned his 20-year-old daughter’s chicken biryani before strangling her to death after she opposed his plans to remarry, police said. The accused, identified as Sharif Raza Hussain Khan, had allegedly planned to kill his younger daughter as well, but she escaped the alleged murder plot after deciding to spend the night at her uncle’s house.
The incident took place on October 2 in Mumbai’s Wadala area. On Wednesday, Wadala police arrested Khan in connection with the murder of his daughter, Rifat. He has been remanded to police custody.
According to police, Khan allegedly attempted to disguise the murder as a case of food poisoning. However, doctors noticed strangulation marks on Rifat’s neck during the medical examination, raising suspicions, eventually leading to his arrest.
Daughters opposed father’s remarriage
Khan lived with his daughters, Rifat, 20, and Nuzhat, 16, and his 10-year-old son, Ahmed, in Madonna Colony on Sheikh Mistry Dargah Road in Wadala East. Their mother died of cancer in November 2025.
Following her death, Khan’s decision to remarry reportedly triggered repeated arguments at home, as both Rifat and Nuzhat opposed the move. Rifat, in particular, was strongly against her father getting married again, police said.
Police suspect that the family dispute over his remarriage led to the fatal confrontation.
Biryani dinner preceded daughter’s death
On October 2, Rifat’s maternal uncle, Abu Khan, was in Ludhiana when he received a phone call informing him of her death. He was reportedly told that Rifat and Nuzhat had eaten chicken biryani brought home by their father before going to sleep on the terrace.
Nuzhat later left for her aunt Gausia’s house because of the humid weather. Police suspect that her decision to leave the house may have saved her life, as the accused had allegedly intended to kill her as well.
At around 5 am on October 3, Khan allegedly went to Gausia’s house and informed her that Rifat was unresponsive. Relatives rushed the young woman to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead.
Postmortem findings led to arrest
The circumstances surrounding Rifat’s death raised suspicions, particularly after doctors noticed signs indicating possible strangulation. An officer described Khan’s behaviour and the medical findings that prompted further investigation.
“Khan behaved strangely and took her to KEM hospital. As it was a police case, doctors performed a postmortem and noted evidence of asphyxia with ligature compression of the neck, with samples preserved for histopathological examination and chemical analysis,’’ said an officer.
Based on the circumstances of the death and the postmortem findings, police arrested Sharif Raza Hussain Khan. Further investigation into the case is underway.