MUMBAI: A 19-year-old woman was found with critical bullet injuries to her cheek and neck on a road in Govandi’s Shivaji Nagar in broad daylight on Tuesday. She was rushed to a hospital but was declared dead on arrival. Police have arrested her 23-year-old boyfriend as well as a 25-year-old woman, who allegedly had feelings for him. The woman’s name was not disclosed. Police said no one in the locality gave clear answers on who fired the shots. They said the victim, Shifa Sheikh, lived with her parents and two siblings in Kamala Raman Nagar, Govandi. Her father works as a small-time contractor in the construction sector. The locality largely houses daily wage workers and artisans. Around noon, Sheikh stepped out of her house to have tea. She was later found critically injured a short distance away. Locals rushed her to Shatabdi Hospital in an auto, where she was declared dead. A medical examination revealed bullet injuries to her cheek and neck, indicating firing from a close range. A bullet was found lodged in her skull. Police sources said Sheikh was dating Guddu, a local youth, but another woman was allegedly infatuated with him, leading to tension among the trio. A crime branch officer said they are probing the possibility that she killed Sheikh. Shivaji Nagar police questioned locals, but no one claimed to have seen the shooting. A murder case has been lodged and a manhunt to trace the shooter launched. Sheikh’s body was sent to JJ Hospital for a postmortem examination and the statements of her parents were being recorded. Shaikh’s phone was seized and her friends were being questioned. Sources said Guddu’s alleged links to illegal drugs were also being probed.
