Apart from Laila, her mother Shelina, elder sister, Azmina, twin siblings Zara and Imran and cousin Reshma, had been missing. IN THE case of the alleged murders of actor Laila Khan and five of her family members, a sessions court on Monday rejected an application by the accused seeking to continue trial before the same judge, who has heard most of the witnesses including the investigating officer.
The judge was recently transferred to hear civil matters.
The accused, Parvez Tak, filed a plea before the Principal Judge of the Mumbai City Civil and Sessions Court seeking that the same judge continues hearing the trial, which is now at its fag end.
The alleged murders took place in 2012 in a farmhouse in Igatpuri near Nashik. The case has been pending since, with 41 witnesses have deposed so far, including the partial testimony of the investigating officer.
Tak, through his lawyer Wahab Khan, filed the plea stating that to resume the trial before another judge will prolong the case, which is already pending for nearly 10 years. The application also said that he has been in jail for the whole trial period and any further delay will cause him to remain in custody.
The court said that since the judge has already been assigned with civil matters, the case can be heard before the new judge.
In 2011, a complaint was filed at the Oshiwara police station by Laila’s father, Nadir Patel, who informed the police that his entire family had been missing. Apart from Laila, her mother Shelina, elder sister, Azmina, twin siblings Zara and Imran and cousin Reshma, had been missing.
A year later, police claimed to have recovered their bodies from a farmhouse and arrested Khan’s stepfather, Tak for the murder.
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