'Thane killer' was religious, performed sacrifices

A day after an educated Muslim youth butchered 14 members of his family before killing himself, the Thane police are struggling to establish the exact motive of the brutal familicide but the most possible cause appears to be the killer's drift from being extremely religious towards black magic.

To profile the killer the cops are speaking to his relatives, friends, colleagues among others.  

The dance of death commenced after a dawat (feast) at the two-storey family house at the semi-urban Kasarvadavali village off Thane's Ghodbunder Road that went late till Saturday. Hasnain Warekar (35), who worked at a chartered accountant's firm, killed 14 members of his family by slitting their throats using a cleaver or a butcher's knife and later committed suicide by hanging himself using a nylon rope. One of his sister, Subiya Bharmal (21), the only survivor, managed to bolt herself in a room and seek help.. 

Joint Commissioner of Police (Law & Order) Ashutosh Dhumbare told a news conference that there was no signs of forced entry into the house and hence Hasnain Warekar is the accused. "We have spoken to several villagers and have found that during Bakri-Eid he used to perform sacrifice (qurbani) of small and big animals at his house and friends called him to perform the same in their homes. He had the butcher's knife used in the crime. We will also take assistance from the Psychiatrists to ascertain his behaviour," he added.

Police are also trying to ascertain, whether the victims were sedated. The viscera samples have been sent for forensic and chemical examination. Police officials investigating the case said so far they have not come across any property details of the family or whether any property has been sold or whether there was any dispute. Hasnain's father Anwar Warekar was a trustee of Pardeshi Baba Dargah Trust, while Hasnain was also religious and frequently visited the dargah, the police added.

Warekar went to the Ideal English School and later went to the NKT college in Thane to pursue graduation and masters in Commerce. His job is said to have earned him a good salary.  

The police are not sure as to why the three brother-in-laws were not  invited for the dawat.