E-Paper
Cops change tune from elopement to abduction
TWENTY-FOUR HOURS was all it took for the police to change tune. Till Saturday, they had claimed that Benazeer, wife of one Aslam of the Banjara tribe, had eloped. But, on Sunday, they were busy trying to find clues about persons possibly involved in her kidnapping.
TWENTY-FOUR HOURS was all it took for the police to change tune. Till Saturday, they had claimed that Benazeer, wife of one Aslam of the Banjara tribe, had eloped. But, on Sunday, they were busy trying to find clues about persons possibly involved in her kidnapping.
A policeman, on condition of anonymity, accepted that Benazeer was kidnapped and had not eloped.
Police swung into action after Hindustan Times published a report on abduction of Benazeer from her tent near the DIG’s office-cum-residence on March 16/17 night.Aslam has not left the city, as was being claimed by cops. This came to light when some of them accepted that Aslam had approached them on Sunday in the hope of finding his wife. Aslam is a resident of Motihari in Bihar. He came to the city last Sunday to sell herbal medicines on the roadside.
On March 16, some men in a Maruti van took away his wife Benazeer at gunpoint in front of the hapless husband. Then, Aslam ran to the bungalow of the DIG Personnel on Thornhill Road, seeking help from the guard on duty, but he was directed to the Civil Lines police station. The inspector, along with Aslam, tried to find Benazeer, but in vain.
To save face, the cops allegedly forced Aslam to leave the place the next day. For the time being, he had no choice but to fall in line. But, he chose to stay back in the city in the hope of finding his wife.
Residents of the area from where Benazeer was abducted are angry over the manner in which police have handled the case. Some of them are keen to launch an agitation on the issue. They said if the incident was ignored, they could face a similar situation soon.
