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Three of family held for murdering woman on wedding day in Srinagar
Woman’s fiancé filed a petition when he was informed that she died of a heart attack on November 4
The police here have arrested three family members of a woman who was murdered on her wedding day last month in Srinagar.
The revelations of the murder of the bride-to-be, Shahnaza, daughter of late Mohd Qasim Sultan of Saida Kadal, Srinagar, allegedly by her step-brother, nephew and niece over property and jewellery has triggered shock and anger in the valley.
Police said the blind murder case of Shahnaza was solved in record time after Nigeen police station filed a report on November 13 following directions from the court of chief judicial magistrate, Srinagar.
The court direction came after the woman’s fiancé Nasir Hussain Kawa, a resident of Kawpora, Shadipora, filed a petition when he was informed that the woman died of a heart attack on November 4. They were set to be married on November 4-5.
“The complainant stated that he had apprehensions of the woman being murdered and accordingly, the proceedings under Section 174 of CrPC were initiated,” said police spokesperson Manoj Kumar.
Kumar said the investigating officers learnt from the medical reports that the woman was actually murdered prompting them to file a murder case.
He said that a special investigating team led by SHO Nigeen under the supervision of SDPO Zakoora swung into action and started rounding up suspects in the instant case.
Kumar said the special team got clues pointing towards the involvement of the deceased’s family, including her step brother Mohammad Shafi Sultan, nephew Wajid Gulzar Sultan and niece Nighat.
“Among the suspects, Wajid was put to sustained questioning. He revealed that he along with his uncle Shafi and sister Nighat hatched a conspiracy to eliminate Shahnaza as she had been their eyesore,” Kumar said.
The official said the main conspirator was Shafi, who eyed a piece of land and jewellery, and motivated Wajid and Nighat to take part in the murder plan.
“On November 3, they all hatched a conspiracy to eliminate her. The victim used to wake up for prayers early in the morning and in the wee hours of November 4, as she was busy praying, Shafi along with Nighat and Wajid entered the room and attacked the victim from behind and smothered her to death,” Kumar said, adding that they then strangulated her with a piece of cloth and later tied it to the ceiling fan along with Shanaza’s body,” he said.
