'Never imagined he would butcher his family'

 Describing Hasnain Warekar as a simple man with no enemies, his friends and relatives, who were in a state of shock, could not believe that he has murdered his entire family in what has emerged as the biggest mass murder ever reported in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

A resident of Kasarvadavali off the Ghodbunder in Thane district, the 35-year-old Husnain worked with a chartered accountant firm and was an expert in filing Income Tax returns.
 “I used to meet him daily, almost three to four times daily. Never thought that he would do such a thing…we don’t believe this. We are yet to come to terms after the incident,” said Niyaz Khan, a resident of Kasarvadavali village, who was a friend of the accused.
“He was a five-time namazi and was a God-fearing man…we feel sad for the family,” he said.

“We are shocked,” added Salim Patel, who stays in the neighbourhood and knows the family from the childhood. “I still cannot believe this. The building, this is the place from where I pass by every day, several times. I know the family. I know the boy, his family....they are very good people,” Patel said showing the two-storey house in which the family stayed.

“The entire family was good. The sisters used to come regularly there and their kids used to play....they were such nice people,” said Taufique Warekar.

THE VICTIMS

 Anwar Warekar (65) – father
 Asgari Warekar (55) – mother
 Zabin Warekar (28) – wife
 Mubatshira Warekar (6 years) – daughter
 Umaira Warekar (3 months) – daughter
 Shabina Shaukat Khan (35 years) – sister and her
kids Anas Shaukat
 Khan (12 years) and Sadia Shaukat Khan (16 years),
Al Hisan Shaukat     n Khan (5 years)
 Batul Anwar Warekar (30 years) – unmarried sister
 Maria Arfan Fakki (28) and her kids Umar Arfan Fakki (7) and Yusuf  n Arfan Fakki (4)
 Arshia Saujaf Bharmal (five months) – daughter of      survivor

Journalist covering incident dies

A TV cameraman attached to Aaj Tak channel died while covering the Thane multiple murders after suffering a heart attack. The deceased was identified as Ratan Bhowmick. He was in his early-thirties. He was assigned to cover the incident. He collapsed near the Thane civil hospital. He was rushed inside the hospital, where he passed away. According to sources in the Thane police, he had undergone an angioplasty last year.