The Laila Khan case is one of India’s most disturbing family murder mysteries. Fifteen years after she and five relatives vanished, the investigation ended with six bodies found beneath a farmhouse, her stepfather Parvez Tak on death row, and one alleged accomplice still untraced.
What Exactly Happened?
Laila Khan, known for Wafa: A Deadly Love Story opposite Rajesh Khanna, disappeared in 2011 along with her mother Selina and four other family members. What began as a missing persons complaint eventually exposed a carefully planned mass murder. Former Mumbai Crime Branch officer Ambadas Pote later described how the case unfolded from a disappearance into a gruesome homicide probe.
Family Tensions
According to the investigation, Selina was married to Parvez Tak, her third husband, and the family lived in Oshiwara. Pote said Tak disliked Laila’s film career, resented the way she treated him, and was also frustrated by disputes over property. He allegedly wanted Laila to move to Dubai for work, but when she refused, tensions escalated further.
The Farmhouse Trap
Investigators believe Tak arranged for an associate to work as a watchman at the family’s farmhouse in Igatpuri before convincing the family to visit there for a few days. When they failed to return, Selina’s first husband, Nadir Shah, filed a missing persons complaint. Police later found Tak’s Aadhaar card at the Mumbai home, which helped focus suspicion on him.
The Murders
Pote said Tak later confessed that the family travelled to the farmhouse by car, spent the evening eating barbecue and dancing, and then went to sleep. That night, he and an associate allegedly attacked them with an iron rod and a knife. Laila’s brother Imran tried to protect the others despite being injured, but Tak reportedly kept striking the victims to make sure there were no survivours.
How The Bodies Were Hidden
The bodies were allegedly buried in a pit dug for a swimming pool. Three were placed first and covered with mattresses and pillows, then three more were laid on top before the pit was filled. Rain later caused the ground to sink slightly, which raised suspicion. Police then dug for more than six hours before recovering skeletal remains.
Court Verdict
Tak was arrested in 2012 and later sentenced to death by a Mumbai sessions court in 2024. The court called it a “rarest of rare” case and said the murders were cold-blooded, followed by a deliberate attempt to erase the evidence. The alleged accomplice who helped carry out the killings has still not been arrested.