Inspired by real police cases: A team of officers arrest a child murderer in Mumbai

Case overview and tools of investigation: The use of DNA profiling and “gait analysis” from CCTV footage results in the arrest of a paedophile and murderer in Mumbai.

Location: Mumbai

Twenty-six-year-old Abdul Siddique was talking on his mobile phone as he stepped into the Nehru Nagar locality of Kurla (East) in Mumbai. The time was 9 pm, and there were a lot of people on the road returning from work. This was a lower-middle-class neighbourhood, and the residents mostly belonged to the working class.

Abdul’s eyes were wide in anticipation of what lay ahead, and a gentle smile played on his lips. A passerby would think that the reason for Abdul’s smile was the conversation he was having on the phone. But the fact was Abdul’s phone was off and he was merely pretending to be on a call, smiling and nodding his head from time to time.

As he walked, his eyes scanned the surroundings carefully. Five feet seven inches tall, with a wheatish complexion and a slight build, Abdul had a forgettable face.

Ten minutes later, he sighted his target. It was a five-year-old girl who was sitting under a lamppost and playing with stones. His smile widening, he approached her.

Moving the phone a few...

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