Brutal Murder of Hindu Yashashri Shinde by Dawood Sheikh [Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra]

(Reported as seen)

In a horrifying incident, 20-year-old Yashashri Shinde was brutally murdered in the Uran area of Navi Mumbai on July 26. Her body was discovered in a severely mutilated state, with her face smashed beyond recognition, bones broken, multiple stab wounds, and her private parts crushed. The suspect, Dawood Sheikh, has admitted to the crime and was arrested in his hometown of Gulbarga, Karnataka, on July 30.

Yashashri Shinde lived with her parents in Navi Mumbai’s Uran area. In 2019, her father filed an FIR against Dawood Sheikh for molesting her. Dawood had been following Yashashri to her classes and once threatened her, demanding she spend time with him. He attempted to coerce her into a relationship and was caught red-handed, forcefully talking to and harassing her. Since she was a minor in 2019, a case was registered under Sections 354 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 8 and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Dawood was arrested and imprisoned for six months. After his release, he went to Karnataka but later returned to Mumbai, allegedly seeking revenge.

On July 26, Yashashri Shinde was discovered lying in a pool of blood on an isolated road near a petrol pump in Kotnaka, Uran taluka, Navi Mumbai. Her body was brutally mutilated, with her private parts stabbed multiple times and her face smashed with a rock to prevent identification. Reports revealed numerous injuries to her private parts, broken bones, and additional stab wounds on her stomach and back. Her chest also bore several injury marks. The face was so badly damaged that it was unrecognizable.

Local media accessed CCTV footage related to the incident, revealing that the accused had been monitoring Yashashri in the Uran area. The footage shows Yashashri walking through a street in Uran on July 25, followed by Dawood Sheikh ten minutes later, suggesting that the attack was premeditated.

According to FIR Number 40/2024, filed on July 27 against an unidentified person, Yashashri went missing on July 25. She worked at AMII Business Support Solution in Belapur but was on leave that day. She had left home saying she would visit a friend and return soon. When she did not come back by 7:45 pm, her family reported her missing. At around 2:20 am, the police contacted the family to inform them that a body had been found near the petrol pump in Kotnaka, Uran taluka. Yashashri’s father identified her by her clothing and accessories.

The police formed eight teams to track down Dawood, who had fled Mumbai following the brutal murder of Yashashri. According to a crime branch officer familiar with the case, Dawood confessed to killing Yashashri because she had previously rejected his advances and he was worried she might be involved with another man. He has been booked under Section 103 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for murder.

The nature of Yashashri Shinde’s murder raises complex questions about whether it was a case of a “love affair gone wrong” or an act of revenge. Initial reports suggest that Dawood, who had been in contact with Yashashri since 2019, may have had a longstanding, troubling relationship with her. However, the severity of the injuries, the stalking behaviour, and the family’s allegations strongly support the theory that this was a calculated act of revenge. The crime’s brutality indicates a personal vendetta rather than a failed romantic relationship.

The brutal murder of Yashashri Shinde has left the community in shock and raised serious questions about the nature of the relationship between her and Dawood Sheikh. While initial reports hint at a possible “love affair gone wrong,” the evidence points towards a premeditated act of revenge driven by Dawood’s obsessive behaviour and the violent nature of the crime.