Justice finally delivered, says murder victims’ family
The court has awarded death penalty to three and lifer to a woman accused in the murder of four people in Beniya Bagh locality of Varanasi in 2012.
VARANASI: Offering prayers on the graves of departed near and dear ones is common practice n the old graveyard in Beniya Bagh, a densely populated Muslim-dominated locality. But the prayers that Mohammed Shahid offered at the graves of his kin on Saturday were special, marking the end of the 10-year-long battle which he and his family fought to get justice for the four members of his family who were brutally murdered by his own neighbours for objecting to encroachment on the graveyard land.
On October 14, after a 10-year-long legal battle, the Varanasi district court gave death penalty to three and lifer to a woman accused in the murder of the four people of the family of Mohammed Shahid.
“I know they can challenge the order in the higher courts. But to us, this was the first step of victory and hence we offered special prayers on the graves of our family members,” said Shahid who was a prime witness to the sensational incident that took place in 2012.
June 16, 2012 is clearly etched in Shahid’s memory. “Ours is a joint family, we sell flowers at the graveyard in the vicinity of our house to meet the family expenses,” said Shahid.
He said the family had tea together in the evening and everything was fine till 8pm when the neighbours suddenly started hurling abuse at the family. “Unaware of the consequences and what they had planned, Mohammed Shafeeq (50), Mohammed Shakeel (45), Mohammed Kamil (43) and Chand Rahimi (20) went out of the house to see what was wrong. Soon afterwards, four people from the neighbour’s family attacked them with bamboo sticks, breaking their skulls open. It all started at 8 and ended at 8:30pm,” said Shahid.
He said he too was there, but somehow managed to escape from the scene. “I was also attacked. I suffered fracture in the ribs but somehow managed to escape. It all happened in front of my eyes. I wish I could have saved them. Since them I have not been able to get sound sleep,” recollected Shahid as tears rolled down his cheeks.
He said he never thought that for opposing encroachment on the graveyard’s land, his family members would be killed.
In the brutal attack in which two people died on the spot and two on way to hospital, Shahid lost his two elder brothers, a young nephew and a cousin. However, the court’s verdict brought the much needed relief to the family members who are thankful to the judiciary.
Chanda Begum, Shahid’s sister-in-law and mother of Chand Rahimi (20), youngest of all four who died in the land dispute, said, “I have lost a young son. It’s been 10 years but still I have not been able to sleep. His mutilated face is still fresh in my memory. I am thankful to the judiciary for delivering justice.”
