Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Triple murder suspect extradited from India found guilty in UK

A Bangladeshi man extradited from India on charges of killing his wife and two minor daughters in London was on Thursday (31) convicted of the triple murder by a UK court.

Mohammed Abdul Shakur, 45, was found guilty at the Old Bailey court in London of the murder of his wife, 26-year-old Juli Begum, and their two daughters – five-year-old Anika Khanum and six-year-old Thanha Khanum – at the family home in East Ham, east London.


He will be sentenced for the murders on Friday.

"I would like to thank our international policing counterparts in Bangladesh and India, and especially the Foreign and Commonwealth representative who assisted us so well in circulating Shakur as a wanted man to local police, and indeed informing us when he was located," said Detective Sergeant Amjad Sharif, Specialist Crime investigator at Scotland Yard.

"This is a prime example of the good that can come from international law enforcement working together to catch criminals... Now at last Shakur will serve a substantial custodial sentence for the horrific crimes he committed," he said.

The court heard that police were called to the family address on January 1, 2007, after a concerned family member had not seen or heard from Juli for around 10 days, and the children had not returned to school after the Christmas break. Police attended and forced entry to the address.

There they found the bodies of Juli, Anika and Thanha concealed under a duvet in a rear bedroom. Post-mortem examinations were held at East Ham mortuary in January 2007.

Cause of death for Juli was initially inconclusive but later ruled to be consistent with asphyxiation.

Thanha's cause of death was recorded as consistent with head trauma, while Anika was confirmed as having been killed by strangulation with a ligature.

Detective Sharif said: "We will likely never be able to understand what could have driven Shakur to snap and end the lives of his wife and two daughters so violently and callously".

"In the years since, Juli, Anika and Thanma's family have had to endure the most unimaginable torment. At times it must have seemed that there would never be justice; from Shakur immediately fleeing the UK, to the protracted process that followed over many years when he was finally apprehended.

"I am happy now to say that we have finally achieved justice for Juli and her daughters and her family. I would like to thank them for their unwavering support throughout. Though many years have passed, I know their grieving continues, and I hope this development will allow them some small measure of comfort," he said.

The court was told that Shakur and Juli had an arranged married in Bangladesh in October 1999 and she had subsequently sponsored his immigration visa so that they could return to the UK. However, incidents of domestic conflict began to emerge just a few months into the marriage.

Metropolitan Police detectives had launched a murder investigation and Shakur was quickly identified as a suspect. Detectives established that Shakur had attended the Bangladeshi High Commission to obtain a passport that same day. The following day he went to a travel agent and ordered a one-way ticket to Bangladesh.

A statement from the victims' family said: "Abdul Shakur has destroyed our family. He took away a caring, loving mother and sister Juli and he has taken away the future of two young beautiful girls Thanha and Anika. We struggle with thoughts of how their lives may have ended and what each of them must have witnessed in their final moments. We miss them every day and we cannot forgive this senseless loss of life.

"Shakur's final act of cowardice was fleeing to Bangladesh. This meant justice took so long to be delivered, it was something our mother never got to see".

Enquiries to trace and arrest Shakur were undertaken in Bangladesh and India after information suggested that he was in the Assam region of India, close to the border of Bangladesh. Contact was made with a UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) representative in New Delhi, who informed local police of the Met's interest in Shakur.

Several years passed by without any trace of Shakur. However, in May 2013, the FCO representative called detectives to inform them that Shakur had been arrested for being in India illegally. It is thought that he had been crossing back and forth between the countries on a regular basis for work.

Formal extradition proceedings from India got underway and Shakur said he would not oppose extradition. The process was not completed until April 2019, when Shakur was finally extradited to the UK on April 6.

More For You

Air India flight crash
Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
Getty Images

Air India crash probe finds fuel to engines was cut off before impact

Highlights

 
     
  • Fuel to both engines of the Air India flight was cut off seconds before the crash
  •  
  • A pilot was heard questioning the other over the cut-off; both denied initiating it.
  •  
  • The Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people.
  •  
  • Investigators are focusing on fuel switch movement; full analysis may take months.

FUEL control switches to both engines of the Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff were moved from the "run" to the "cutoff" position seconds before the crash, according to a preliminary investigation report released early Saturday.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chinese vessel tracked in Bay of Bengal after disabling identification system

The Indian Navy and Coast Guard have consistently reported Chinese research vessel presence. (Representational image: Getty Images)

Chinese vessel tracked in Bay of Bengal after disabling identification system

A Chinese research vessel was detected operating in the Bay of Bengal near Indian waters while attempting to conceal its presence by disabling its Automatic Identification System (AIS), according to a report by The Economic Times, citing French maritime intelligence firm Unseenlabs.

The French company conducted a 16-day satellite-based survey tracking ships through radio frequency emissions. It monitored 1,897 vessels, with 9.6 per cent showing no AIS activity, indicating attempts to avoid detection. The survey raised concerns amid increased Chinese activity in the region.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian-inspired garden earns
five awards at Hampton Court

(From left) Malcolm Anderson (RHS, head of sustainability) Clare Matterson (RHS director general), Lorraine Bishton (Subaru UK and Ireland, managing director) Andrew Ball (director, Big Fish Landscapes) Mike McMahon and Jewlsy Mathews with the medals

Asian-inspired garden earns five awards at Hampton Court

BRITISH Asians are being encouraged to take up gardening by a couple who have won a record five medals at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival.

“It’s a contemporary reimagining of a traditional walled garden, highlighting the British and Irish rainforests,” said Jewlsy Mathews, who was born in Britain of parents from Kerala, a southern Indian state known for its lush vegetation.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk weather

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England

iStock

England faces widespread heat alerts and hosepipe bans amid rising temperatures

Highlights:

  • Amber heat health alerts in place for large parts of England
  • Hosepipe bans announced in Yorkshire, Kent and Sussex
  • Temperatures could reach 33°C over the weekend
  • Health risks rise, especially for elderly and vulnerable groups

Heat warnings in effect as UK braces for another hot weekend

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England, with temperatures expected to climb to 33°C in some areas over the weekend. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) activated the warning at 12 pm on Friday, with it set to remain in place until 9 am on Monday.

The alerts cover the East Midlands, West Midlands, south-east, south-west, East of England, and London. Additional yellow alerts were issued for the north-east, north-west, and Yorkshire and the Humber, starting from midday Friday.

Keep ReadingShow less
Essex ladybird invasion

One of the largest gatherings was filmed on a beach at Point Clear

Dee-anne Markiewicz / SWNS

Swarms of ladybirds invade Essex coastline amid soaring temperatures

Highlights:

  • Ladybird swarms reported across Essex and Suffolk coastal towns
  • Hot weather likely driving the sudden surge in population
  • Sightings include Point Clear, Shoebury, Clacton and Felixstowe
  • Similar outbreaks occurred in 1976 during another hot UK summer

Sudden surge in ladybird numbers across the southeast

Millions of ladybirds have been spotted swarming towns and villages along the Essex coast, with similar sightings stretching into Suffolk. Residents have reported unusually high numbers of the red and black-spotted insects, particularly near coastal areas, with the recent hot weather believed to be a major contributing factor.

One of the largest gatherings was filmed on a beach at Point Clear, a village near St Osyth in Essex, where the insects could be seen piling on top of each other on driftwood and plants.

Keep ReadingShow less