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Mumbai, Jul 11 (IANS): In a massive combing operation that continued for the second day Wednesday, Mumbai police's Crime Branch claimed to have made a headway in the case of missing Bollywood starlet Laila Khan and her family members.
Even as the police officials chose to remain tight-lipped about the entire operation, sources said six skeletons were found within Laila's bungalow in Igatpuri near Nashik, around 130 km from Mumbai.
There are speculations, sources say, that Laila and her family members might have been murdered for the properties belonging to her and her mother Saleena Begum.
These include an apartment, some shops in Mumbai and a country villa in Igatpuri.
The skeletons recovered from the Igatpuri villa are believed to be those of Laila and her family.
However, whether the remains are of the starlet and her family will be known only after forensic examination.
A Mumbai metropolitan court Monday sent Parvez Tak, laila's step-father and a suspected member of militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, to police custody till July 19.
According to sources, police may make more arrests since Tak might have had an accomplice in the alleged murders.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Himanshu Roy is expected give more details on the case in the evening.
A police team had taken Tak to the spot where they reconstructed the crime scene, following which they found skeletal remains of some people.
Besides the skeletons, a bag full of women's clothes was also dug out.
During interrogation, Tak had said that Laila, who went missing in February 2011, was murdered along with four of her family members and their bodies disposed of near Mumbai.
On a complaint filed by Laila's father Nadir Patel, a case of kidnapping has been registered at the Oshiwara police station in Mumbai.
The complaint says Tak and his accomplice, Asif Sheikh, had kidnapped Laila and her family members.
Laila, whose real name is Reshma Patel, was last seen in the 2008 film "Wafaa", with veteran actor Rajesh Khanna.
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