Srinagar: Police on Friday claimed to have cracked a blind murder case and arrested the accused persons involved in it.
Giving details, police spokesperson said that on November 13, Police Station Nigeen received directions from the Court of CJM Srinagar for filing report in the light of petition filed by one Nasir Hussain Kawa, son of Ghulam Hassan Kawa of Kawpora Shadipora alleging that he was engaged to one Shahnaza, daughter of Late Mohammad Qasim Sultan of Sultan Mohalla Saida Kadal Srinagar.
On November 04, Kawa was informed that Shahnaza had died due to heart attack. However, suspecting some foul play, Kawa approached the court, pleading for inquest proceedings to ascertain the actuial cause of Shahnaza’s death.
Police said that during investigations, it was learnt from the medical reports that Shahnaza had been murdered.
During further probe, police got some clues indicating the involvement of the family of the deceased in her murder.
Among the suspects, one Wajid Gulzar Sultan (victim Shahnaza’s nephew) was put to sustained questioning, during which he confessed his involvement in the crime and divulged details and the sequence of events, police said.
He revealed that he along with his uncle Mohammad Shafi Sultan and sister Nighat Gulzar hatched a conspiracy to eliminate Shahnaza.
Wajid and Nighat are the nephew and niece of the victim while Shafi is her step-brother. Police said Shafi is the main conspirator, who motivated Wajid and Nighat to take part in killing Shahnaza, so as to grab the property including a piece of land left for her by her father.
On November 03, they hatched a conspiracy to eliminate Shahnaza, police said.
Next day (November 04) early in the morning, as Shahnaza was busy prayer, Shafi along with Nighat and Wajid entered the room and attacked her from behind and smothered her till death. “Then they flattened and strangulated her with a piece of cloth in order to ensure her death,” police said.
Later on, they tied the cloth with a fan and tied the dead body with it so as to make it look as if she had hanged herself to death, police said.
Citing the motive, police said that Shafi being the stepbrother of the victim, was not having good relationship with the Shahnaza. Their expired father had kept a piece of land for the victim, which Shafi wanted to grab, besides her jewellery and other things.
Shafi persuaded Wajid and Nighat to help him in killing her and promised both of them a share of her assets.
After the disclosure of the accused and the linkage of other evidences, all of them were arrested, police said, adding the article of offence was identified by the accused and was recovered from their house.
Further investigation into the case is in progress, police said.
