Ghaziabad: Man awarded death penalty for murdering four relatives in 2021
The prosecution said that the convict was awarded the death penalty for murder, seven years’ rigorous imprisonment for criminal intimidation and 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment under sections of the Arms Act
A Ghaziabad court on Tuesday awarded the death penalty to a convict who shot dead four of his relatives, including his senior citizen uncle and aunt, on June 28, 2021, in Loni’s Toli Mohalla locality.
The court convicted Mohammad Ayyub under Indian Penal Code section 302 (murder), 506 (criminal intimidation) and also under provisions of the Arms Act and held him guilty of murdering his uncle Mohammad Rahisuddin, 65, his wife Fatima, 65, and their two sons, Mohammad Azharuddin, 28, and Imran, 23.
According to police investigation, the incident happened in the house of the victims between 2.30am and 3am on June 28, 2021.
“It is the responsibility of the court that voice and pain of masses and society is taken into consideration while awarding strict punishment to the ones who break rules in society, so that justice can be accomplished... The convict in a barbaric manner murdered four members of a family and these included two senior citizens. Such act instil fear and anger in society and people will not be able to live peacefully. The convict committed a crime which is rarest of rare,” the court led by additional sessions judge Pawan Kumar Sharma said.
The prosecution said that the convict was awarded the death penalty for murder, seven years’ rigorous imprisonment for criminal intimidation and 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment under sections of the Arms Act.
“The prime eyewitness in the case was Afsana, wife of deceased Azharuddin, who was the only survivor in the attack. She maintained her statement and nailed the convict during the trial stage. The police investigation also found a button from the convict’s shirt at the scene of crime. A bloodstained shirt with similar buttons was also recovered on the instance of the convict following his arrest,” said Rajesh Sharma, Ghaziabad district government counsel.
Afsana told the court what had happened that night.
“Ayyub came around 10pm on the night of the incident and demanded ₹10 lakh from my father-in-law (Rahisuddin) for starting a scrap dealing business in Delhi. Thereafter, he slept in our house. Around 2.30am, I heard the sound of a gunshot and my husband and I ran downstairs. Ayyub shot my husband and also my brother-in-law, Imran, who tried to stop him. Ayyub then came upstairs and shot my mother-in-law,” Afsana said.
She said Ayyub also tried to fire at her but the gun did not go off.
“He then threatened me with dire consequences if I revealed his name to anyone. He then fled through the terrace of our house,” she said.
According to the prosecution, the incident was barbaric in nature and demanded maximum punishment. They told the court that four members of a family were wiped out in a single night, while Afsana was pregnant and Imran got engaged two months before the incident.
Convict Ayyub is married and has three children aged twelve, nine and two years.