December 11: Police solved blind murder case  arrested step brother, sister and uncle of the murdered would be bride in Saida kadal area of Srinagar.

According to police on November 13, Police Station Nigeen received directions from the local court for filing report in the light of petition filed by complainant namely Nasir Hussain Kawa son of Gh Hassan Kawa resident of Kawpora Shadipora alleging that he was engaged to one lady namely Shahnaza daughter of Late Mohd Qasim Sultan resident of Sultan Mohalla Saida Kadal Srinagar & his marriage was fixed on 4/5 November 2020.

“On 4/11/20 morning, he was informed that the lady died due to heart attack. Finally the complainant stated that he had apprehensions of the lady being murdered. Accordingly proceedings under section 174 CRPC was initiated,” the police officials said.

Investigating officers learnt from the medical reports that the lady was actually murdered.

The proceedings u/s 174 CrPC were converted into a formal criminal Case FIR No. 182/20 U/S 302 IPC was registered in PS Nigeen.

Later a special investigating team led by Station house officer under the supervision of Sub Disvisonal Police Officer Zakoora immediately swung into action and started rounding up suspects in the instant case.

“After hectic efforts and on human intelligence, the Special Team got the clues which were indicating the involvement of the family of the deceased. Among the suspects, Wajid Gulzar Sultan (nephew of the Victim) was put to sustained questioning. He confessed to the crime and divulged the details & the sequence of events. He revealed that he along with his uncle namely Mohammad Shafi Sultan & Sister namely Nighat Gulzar hatched a conspiracy to eliminate the lady namely Shahnaza as she has been their eyesore. Wajid & Nighat were related as nephew/neice to the deceased while as Shafi was step-brother of the deceased. The main conspirator is Shafi, who motivated Wajid & Nighat to take part in the killing of the victim,” the police officials said.

“Accordingly, on 3/11/20, they all hatched a conspiracy to eliminate her. As the victim used to wake up for prayers very early in the morning. On 4/11/20 wee hours, as she was busy in prayers, Shafi alongwith Nighat & Wajid entered the room & attacked the victim from behind & smothered her till death. Then they flattened & strangulated her with a Golden coloured piece of cloth in order to ensure her death. Later on, they tied the cloth with a fan and tied the dead body with it for deriving an assumption that she has hanged herself to death,”.

The police officials said the motive of the murder was that Shafi being the step brother of the victim was not in good relationship with the victim and used to harass her on one pretext or other.

“On various instances, he used to torture her. Since their expired father had kept a piece of land for the victim, Shafi’s eye was on that piece of land. The jewellery which was brought by the family for the victim was also in Shafi’s mind. Since the victim was not happy with the articles especially jewellery brought by her family, as she had engaged in a verbal dual with the family especially with Shafi a day before the fateful day. Shafi was fed up with the behaviour of the victim. He also wanted to grab the piece of land & the jewellery. For that purpose, he persuaded Wajid & Nighat to help him in killing her. For that purpose, he promised both of them of equal share out of it,” they said.

“Moreover, Shafi’s conduct was always questionable as he used to return home drunk which was always objected by the victim. After the disclosure of the accused & the linkage of other evidences, all of them were arrested. The article of offence was identified by the accused & recovered from their house. Further investigation into the case is in progress”.