E-Paper
Survivors of Prayagraj multiple murders forced to spend life in pain
Incidents of multiple murders not only cause terror and grief among locals but also give a lifetime of pain and suffering to the next of kin who are left behind to grieve
Incidents of multiple murders not only cause terror and grief among locals but also give a lifetime of pain and suffering to the next of kin who are left behind to grieve.
A woman and two children each have survived in three of the five major incidents of multiple murders in the trans-Ganga area of Prayagraj. They are now forced to spend their lives without their loved ones.
Their houses which once used to be abuzz with activity are now deserted and locked.
In the recent Khevrajpur incident in Tharwai, a milk and cattle trader, his wife, daughter, daughter-in-law and a two-year-old granddaughter were brutally murdered by assailants. The cattle trader’s five-year-old daughter survived as assailants may have failed to notice her in the dark. The girl is still in a state of shock and even as her father is alive, she is being taken care of by her aunt and maternal grandparents. The house is now locked until police investigations get over.
Four members of a dalit family were brutally killed and one of the woman victims was raped. Their kin named some persons of the village but police gave them a clean chit. Later, police arrested three more youths but had to release them for want of evidence. The house is now locked and their close relatives who live nearby are demanding a CBI enquiry into the case.
On January 5, 2020 Vijay Shankar Tiwari, his son Sonu, daughter-in-law Soni, grandsons Kanha and Kunj were killed by unidentified miscreants in their house. Tiwari’s second son, Monu, survived as he was in Surat. He named six persons in the case. However, police later arrested six members of a vagabond criminal gang and claimed that they killed the family members. Monu is still in terror. “The promise of a gun licence is still not fulfilled. The surviving members of the family and me live in terror,” Monu said.
On July 2, Vimlesh Pandey, his son Prince, daughter Shreya and Shibu were murdered by assailants. Their throats were slashed with sharp edged weapons. Vimlesh’s wife, Usha, aged around 50 years was found seriously injured and unconscious. However, she survived. Forced to spend a life without her family, Usha now lives at her parent’s home in Pratapgarh. The house is locked and the agricultural fields have been given on share. Police has arrested members of ‘chhemar’ (six murder gang) in connection with the incident.
In another incident of multiple murders at Bigahia in Soraon area, a government employee Kamlesh Devi, her daughter Kiran, son-in-law Pratap Narayan and grandson Virat were murdered on September 7, 2018. A new-born child was spared by the assailants. Pratap Narayan’s family named some cousins of Kiran in the case. The new-born who survived the incident is now being taken care of by her uncle (father’s elder brother). The house is now locked. Her grandfather Balsakha Mishra says he has no interest in the property of his daughter-in-law.
