Srinagar: Police have solved the murder of a 9 year old missing girl in North Kashmir’s Baramula district. Police said: “On August 24, 2018, Police station Boniyar, Uri received a written complaint from Mushtaq Ahmad Ganai, a resident of Lari, in Trikanjan (Uri) about missing of her nine-year-old daughter on the previous day (August 23). He feared she might have been abducted.

On receipt of this complaint, police said they registered case FIR No 43/2018 under section 363 RPC and taken up the investigation.

During the course of the investigation, when the statement of the father of the girl was recorded, it was found that he has two wives – one, Fehmeeda, from local Trikanjan village and Khushboo, who is from Jharkhand. The missing girl was the daughter of the non-local mother. He also stated that his one wife namely Fahmeeda would mostly work outside the home being involved in grazing the goats in nearby fields/jungle, while as his non-local wife would mostly stay at home to cook food etc.

On September 2, 2018, the dead body of the missing girl was found in the decomposed form in nearby forests almost a kilometre away from the home of the girl. Thereafter police teams including Mehrajudin Raina SDPO Uri and Iqbal Ahmad SHO Boniyar reached on the spot along with the forensic and medical teams and the scene of the crime was examined and other forensic examinations were conducted on spot. From the examination of the scene of crime and circumstances thereof, it appeared to be the case of murder and accordingly investigation was set into motion in this direction. A special investigation team (SIT) headed by SDPO Uri was constituted to investigate the murder.

Special Investigation Team during the investigation into the matter interrogated the suspects and during sustained questioning of the stepmother of the deceased and other suspects a bone-chilling and horrible account of murder and rape of the nine-year-old child came to be known.

It was found that girls’ stepmother Fahmeeda had been nourishing a long-standing grudge against the non-local wife of her husband and her children as she has the perception that her husband was more inclined and affectionate towards her second wife ( Khushboo) and the children born to her.

During questioning, she also revealed that her husband would mostly spend time with his second wife and his deceased daughter was dearest of him among all children. The acrimonious atmosphere, primarily for the reason of second marriage of Mushtaq had been building up in the family over a period of time. Fahmeeda hence hatched a conspiracy to eliminate her stepdaughter.

On the fateful day, she took her stepdaughter to the nearby jungle and was armed with a sharp-edged knife. While she was on way to forests with her stepdaughter she signaled her son Sahil (stepbrother of deceased from the same father) aged about 14 years to be ready for the commission of the crime.

Sahil joined her mother in the forest area along with two of his friends namely Kaiser Ahmad aged 19 years S/O Sikander Mir and Aadil Ahmad aged 14 years S/O Bashir Ahmad both residents of Trikanjan Boniyar. One more accused Naseer Ahmad Khan @ Guddo aged 28 years S/O Sher Zaman Khan R/O Lari, Trikanjan also joined in the commission of the crime.

On reaching the spot, the girl was gang raped by the accused in the presence and at the instance of her stepmother. It was Kaiser who first raped her and then all others including Sahil her stepbrother took turns to rape the girl. Thereafter Fahmeeda strangulated the girl and Sahil hit her head with an axe, killing her on spot. After that one of the accused Adil went back his home and brought acid from there in a Plastic bottle. Adil’s household stores the acid for maintenance of the battery of TATA Sumo vehicle possessed by them.

While Fahmeeda strangulated her, Sahil hit her head with Axe and Kaiser gouged out her eyes with a sharp knife and then acid was sprinkled on her body parts. Physical condition and preliminary forensic analysis of dead body substantiated all these facts. Finally, Kaiser and Naseer dumped the body in the bushes and covered it with twigs and branches of pine trees.

All the material and weapons of offence including Axe and knife have been recovered at the instance of the accused. Also, the plastic cane containing the acid has been recovered. All the accused have been arrested. The case will be soon charge sheeted for judicial determination.