A murder case from Mumbai’s Vasai area has revealed disturbing details of how a 26-year-old engineer was allegedly tied up, beaten with plastic pipes and later stuffed inside a green drum before his body was dumped in a drain, police said.

The victim, identified as Arbaz Maqsood Ali Khan from Mumbra, worked as an engineer with a prominent real estate developer in Dombivli. Investigators said the murder was allegedly planned by Khan’s married lover after he stopped sending her money regularly.

According to police, Khan had been in a relationship with 25-year-old Mehajabeen Khatun Ekran Sheikh since 2021. What allegedly began as a close relationship later turned into frequent financial demands, with police claiming the victim had transferred money to her multiple times over the years.

The case came to light after Khan went missing on April 3. Police said he had travelled to Mumbai’s Dadar area to collect cash for his company but never returned home. His father later approached the Mumbra police station and filed a missing complaint, triggering an investigation.

During the probe, police examined Khan’s call records and mobile phone location, which allegedly showed that his last known location matched that of Mehajabeen in Vasai. Investigators also found that Khan had transferred ₹50,000 to the accused woman just a day before he disappeared.

Police said Mehajabeen initially denied any knowledge about Khan’s whereabouts during questioning. However, investigators later found what they described as a planned attack involving her husband, Hasan Sheikh, her brother Tariq Sheikh and another accused, Mojjam Pathan.

According to the police investigation, Khan was allegedly called to Mehajabeen’s residence in Vasai’s Bhoidapada area, where more money was demanded from him. When nothing was found, the accused allegedly tied his hands and legs before assaulting him with plastic pipes.

Officials said the brutal assault caused serious head injuries, leading to Khan’s death on the spot.

After the murder, the accused allegedly stuffed Khan’s body into a green drum and dumped it in an isolated drain under the Valiv police station limits in an attempt to destroy evidence and avoid suspicion.

Police arrested Mehajabeen and her brother Tariq Sheikh on May 7. Her husband Hasan Sheikh and the fourth accused Mojjam Pathan, remain absconding, and teams have been formed to trace them.

A case has been registered at the Mumbra police station under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including murder, kidnapping and destruction of evidence.