Thane murders: Human sacrifice theory being probed as motive

Thane: The Maharashtra Police is looking for the motive behind the horrendous massacre of 14 members of a family here.

In a shocking and gruesome incident, Hasnain Anwar Warekar, 32, the income tax consultant killed 14 members of his own family and later hanged himself.

The police are waiting to record the statement of the sole survivor, Sabia Shoaib Bharmal, who is 21-year-old.

Joint Police Commissioner Ashutosh Dumbare said investigations from all angles were underway.

Even the suspected property dispute angle has not yet emerged in the probe yet.

A report in the Hindustan Times suggested that the police are investigating a number of theories, which include human sacrifice, property or family dispute and mental illness as possible motives.

“Investigations point out that the deceased were either asleep or sedated when murdered. There are no signs of forced entry and the witness survivor, Sabia, has seen her brother killing. Looking at the way the throats were slit, it looks it was done by someone used to slaughtering. We’ve gathered that Hasnain used to carry out animal sacrifices,” said Dumbre.

The police have found out that Hasnain was religious and used to offer prayers five times a day.

“We are seeking property details of t he family. Investigations have revealed that the family was involved in a property dispute,” said Dumbre.

Sabia was attacked along with other family members with a long knife by her elder brother Hasnain.

Dumbare has denied there were any indications that the deeply religious Hasnain could have been influenced by some extremist ideology or was radicalised.

Wielding a large knife, usually used for sacrificing goats during Bakr-i Eid, Hasnain butchered 14 members of his family at around 3 am on Sunday. Those slaughtered included his aged parents, his wife and two minor daughters, three sisters and six nieces and nephews.