Murder investigation. (Photo: Thinkstock) Photo Credit: Thinkstock Murder investigation. (Photo: Thinkstock)

Mumbai: A murder that took place almost two years ago in Mumbai's suburb Mira Road has now been solved, thanks to the efforts of the father of the deceased teen, reports Loksatta. The Vasai Road police station staff had declared it an accidental death (boy run over by train) and had shut down the investigation in the death of a 14-year-old boy named Mohammad Khan. But his father named Shabbir Khan was not convinced that his son had died in an accident. But the bereaved father's efforts have now brought the spotlight on 4 teens who were the playmates of the victim and will now face a juvenile justice court.

What had happened before the murder:

Mohammad was gifted a mobile phone by his father. His family comprised Shabbir - the father, a mother and two sisters, apart from himself. Mohammad lived in Puja Nagar society in Mira Road often played with the local boys in an area adjoining the tracks.

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On 4 November 2016, Mohammad was off to play with his playmates, never to return home again. Mohammad's friends told his family that they all returned home together. The family registered a missing complaint with the police. The next day they learnt that Mohammad was found dead and had been run over by a train. The police team concluded that Mohammad had approached the tracks once again to get a selfie clicked and in the process had been run over. They wrapped up the investigation in some time and shut the files, reports Loksatta.

The unconvinced father took a major decision:

Shabbir was unconvinced. He launched his own probe. First, he quit his Dubai job (he worked as a driver) and began interacting with the son's friends. Also, the building's CCTV footage showed that the boys had returned without Mohammad at 5.40 pm that fateful day. One of them soon confessed that he had seen Mohammad meet his end and that it was no accident. He took time to open up as initially, he would cry bitterly and say nothing. The boy's parents asked Shabbir to stay away.

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Soon he spelt out the names of a few boys to Shabbir, alleging that they pushed Shabbir under a moving train to get hold of his phone. Shabbir recalled that these boys were the ones his son had complained to him about, alleging that they bullied him. But he had ignored it as a children's harmless fight, reports Loksatta.

Here's what he found out:

When he spoke to the suspects, every boy came up with a varying version of Mohammad's last moments. Shabbir made it a point to record each version. Some boy said Mohammad had stood on a tanker going towards Churchgate station. Also, Mohammad's phone -- a birthday gift -- had gone missing and had been reported being in use.

Loksatta reports that Shabbir carried on this search for 8 months. After that, in last August (2017) he wrote the entire findings on paper and submitted them to the Railway police Commissioner, requesting a re-enquiry. Police soon found out that the four boys who were after Mohammad's phone had demanded the phone from him that day after play. When he refused, they thrashed him and also robbed him of his birthday present cash and pushed him before an oncoming local train. Mohammad had died instantly, it now emerges after the police probe, says Loksatta.

Police file a murder case:

Vasai Road police have now filed a case against the four juveniles (three aged 15 and one aged 16). The boys have been sent to a remand home. Shabbir, meanwhile, says he is happy that his son got justice.