Maharashtra: Killer couple’s kids keep cops stress-free

The antics of the oneyearold daughter and fouryearold son of the couple arrested for murdering and disposing of a 28yearold hairdresser are a stressbuster for the cops at Naigaon police station where they can be seen frolicking these daysManohar Shukla a 34yearold costume designer and his wife Purnima are in police custody and being interrogated over the killing of Nayna Mahant whose body they allegedly disposed of in Valsad where they travelled on motorcycle for nearly 170 km on August 9Assistant Commissioner of Police ACP Padmaja Bade told midday that the cops have asked a court to decide what to do with the couplersquos children as their distant relatives are yet to arrive from their hometown in Uttar PradeshThe male accused being led away by the copsldquoThe court has asked us to keep the children with their parents who are in the custody of Naigaon policerdquo Bade told midday ldquoAt the time of interrogation we asked Purnima why she had joined her husband in the crime as there would be no one to take care of their children Now she is repentingrdquo Bade said A cop attached to Naigaon police said ldquoThe presence of the children at the police station is fun for all of us They are extremely cute They are like stressbusters for everyonerdquoAlso read Mumbai FDA turns its attention to milk before festival seasonldquoVisitors are always tired and depressed But the funfilled activities of these children dispel their stress We love these kids and feel sorry for them as they are too innocent to understand why they are hererdquo said a police officer The girl often pulls the spectacles from policemenrsquos faces after climbing atop desks at Naigaon police station But the cops do not scold her lsquoIt feels like I am working from homerdquo said a police officerThe couple at the victimrsquos house with one of their childrenAfter chasing dreaded criminals and in the midst of operations to nab antisocial elements the cops never forget to bring snacks and milk to Naigaon police station for the children ldquoThe fouryearold boy plays around the police station and comes back but the girl remains with Purnima most of the timerdquo said a police officerThe police custody of the couple ends on Sunday and the cops feel that the funfilled activities of the children will be sorely missed ldquoWe will miss the children when they go We love playing with themrdquo said another officer A lawyer Seema Adate said ldquoThe police should inform the Child Welfare Committee of Palghar district so that the innocent children can be sent to a childcare instituterdquolsquoCouple used mustardrsquoMeanwhile an officer privy to the investigation told midday that after killing Mahant the killer Shukla couple packed the body inside a trolley bag and travelled on a motorcycle to Valsad in GujaratldquoTo ensure the fast decomposition of Mahantrsquos body the killers had poured more than one kilogram of mustard on the bodyrdquo said the officerldquoHer body was absolutely decomposed and the cause of death was not ascertained in the postmortem We have seized a bucket which has some water and sent it to the forensic labrdquo said the officerAugust 9Day body was disposed