Body of former rape case convict found near mall in Malad

Mumbai: A 36-year-old man, who had served a prison term of seven years in a rape case, was found murdered today near a mall in suburban Malad, the third body discovered in the past 15 days from the city, police said.

According to the Goregaon police, the body of Babu Hussain was spotted by a local resident at about 7 am near a drain behind Ankur Building on Link Road. The body, which bore several wounds caused by a sharp object, was discovered wrapped in bedsheets, plastic and paper sheets, the police said, adding that the victim`s identity was established through his fingerprints. "We checked his fingerprints in our records and found that he was convicted for rape in 2001. We are looking for his family members for further leads," an officer said. Hussain had been arrested for rape in 2001 by the Kurar police, and sentenced to a seven-year jail term by a court, which he had served. "It is suspected that the man was murdered a day or two days ago, as the body is not much decomposed, the officer said. This is the third body found in the city this fortnight. On Sunday, a tailor`s body was found in a suitcase behind Ryan International School, while a woman`s severed body part was found near the Bandra-Worli Sea Link on September 22.