Maldives Police Service (MPS) has revealed that they have enough evidence to prove the murder charges against Ali Shaahil in connection with the gruesome murder of Shiaau Mohamed Saeed.

Shiaau, a young woman aged 22, and native ަto Fuvahmulah City, was brutally slain inside an apartment in Sheereen Villa, an apartment building located in Henveiru district of the congested capital Malé City, in the early hours of August 7. Her body was sent abroad for an autopsy on August 11.

In a press conference held to update the public regarding the gruesome murder that shook the nation, Chief Superintendent of Police Mohamed Basheer revealed that the provisional autopsy report indicates that Shiaau succumbed to the injuries she had sustained.

Reports go on to indicate that her body attained injuries, even after she succumbed to the torture.

Superintendent Basheer noted that the case is still ongoing, and the institution is currently working to find additional details in connection with the homicide, under which they have questioned more than 45 individuals and combed through multiple CCTV footages.

Currently ongoing is the work to retrieve data from suspect Ali Shaahil’s mobile phone, in order to find the motive behind the murder.

According to police, Shaahil is not cooperating in the investigation and that although he remains unwilling to speak regarding the case directly, authorities currently have enough evidence to prove that Shaahil is Shiaau’s murderer.

Police has also uncovered the details of how Shiaau was murdered.

Although authorities have enough evidence to prove the murder charges against Shaahil, investigations are still ongoing to determine the motive, which authorities are yet to officially confirm.

The police institution has assured the public that they are probing the murder of Shiaau with a “very extensive perspective”.

As such, authorities are to have acquired rumors linking the case to “cult” practice, as well as acts of religions other than Islam. Authorities are yet to confirm whether this is the real motive behind the murder, or not.

MPS has revealed that they will be wrapping up investigations in connection with the case and forwarding the case to the Prosecutor General’s Office within the next two weeks.

Findings also indicate that Shaahil is yet to confess to the crime and that Shaahil does not have a history of mental illness.

Police have also found that the murder was not a planned one and that Shaahil acted alone.

In an earlier presser, Head of the Police Crime Investigation Department, Superintendent of Police Hassan Shifaau revealed that officers had confiscated the murder weapon at the scene of the crime.

The police institution initially received reports of the homicide from a member of the public, at around 11:28pm on August 6.

A team of officers had arrived at the scene in less than five minutes.

Shifaau went on to reveal that Shiaau had never reported of being a victim of domestic violence, in the past.

Shaahil who was arrested in connection with the gruesome manslaughter, was intoxicated at the time of his arrest from the scene of the crime where no one else was present. Shaahil was escorted to the police vehicle in a hazmat suit, as his body was reported to be covered in blood. Officers confirmed that the murder took place inside Shaahil’s apartment.

Temporary tests confirmed that Shaahil was in fact under the influence of narcotics. Police did not reveal which narcotics Shaahil had tested positive to.

Going on to note that Shaahil does not have a criminal record, Shifaau revealed that the suspect had not confessed to the brutal crime.

Due to the severity of the crime and following requests by the victim’s family, police continue to refrain from disclosing further details of the extent of injuries to Shiaau’s body.

At a time video clips circulating on social media have shown that Shiaau’s body was initially transported to the mortuary inside two different body bags, presumably filled with her dismembered body parts, her murder has been dubbed the most gruesome in Maldives’ recent history.

Stressing that some media outlets have been circulating fabrications in connection with the brutal murder, the police institution has urged media houses to refrain from spreading false information, especially in such cases.