3 of a family shot dead by kin over property dispute in Lucknow’s Malihabad

Heavy police force deployed in the area to avert fresh clashes between rival groups; incident sends shock waves among villagers, say police

LUCKNOW Three members of a family were killed after a group of men allegedly fired indiscriminately at them over a land dispute in Lucknow’s Malihabad area on Friday. The deceased were identified as Muneer Khan, 55, his nephew Hanzala, 15, and Hanzala’s mother Farheen Khan, 40 - all residents of Mohammed Nagar in Malihabad, said police. A 50-second video of the incident went viral on social media.

It all started with a verbal spat between Faraz, his son Siraj and their kin (the deceased) after the land measurement process was completed in the presence of a lekhpal.

Farheen Khan’s family was embroiled in a dispute over three bigha ancestral land with their close relatives. Her family had called the ‘lekhpal’ to measure the disputed land. When their relatives came there in an SUV, an argument ensued between the two sides.

It all started with a verbal spat between Siraj alias Lallan, 56, his son Faraz, 27 and their kin (the deceased) after the land measurement process was completed in the presence of a lekhpal.

The spat turned bloody when Siraj and Faraz started firing indiscriminately at Munir, Hanzal, and Farheen, killing them on the spot at their home. The accused came there in an SUV and fled from the scene after the incident. The cops also recovered .315 bore rifles used in the attack.

Heavy police force was deployed in the area to avert any fresh clashes between the rival groups. The incident sent shock waves among villagers, and it was feared that supporters of the aggrieved party may launch a counter attack, said police.

An FIR was lodged under IPC Section 302 (murder) against Siraj, Faraz and the other accused - Furqan and Asharfi (driver). While Asharfi was nabbed from Malihabad and the vehicle was also seized, police teams were raiding all possible hideouts of the other accused, said Lucknow police commissioner SB Shiradkar.

“The lekhpal did not inform the police about the land measurement exercise,” said additional DCP Vishwajeet Srivastava.

The police claimed it had also detained some associates of the attackers and recovered the SUV in which the armed men had reached the residence of the victims to execute the crime.

Lucknow district magistrate Suryapal Gangwar, who also reached the spot, said: “The family has said there was no land dispute. But prima facie, it has come to fore that they were in a land dispute since 2013.”

18 FIRs, but accused owns licenced rifle

Siraj, 56, one of the four accused involved in the killing of three members of the family in Malihabad, is a history-sheeter with his name in as many as 18 FIRs since 1980, said police.

He had a Polish passport and a .315 bore rifle was found to be registered in his name. JCP (crime) Akash Kulhary said crime records of Siraj were still being scanned along with those of Faraz, Furqan and Asharfi, the other accused.

“We are also probing how Siraj managed to get an arms licence and a Polish passport despite criminal antecedents,” added Kulhary.