Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 24: Two children were murdered and their mother seriously injured by unidentified assailants at Bemina in the outskirts of Srinagar city early today.
Several people including the father of the murdered children have been taken into custody by police for questioning.
The two children Mohammad Hasim, 2, and Aalia, 3, were declared dead on arrival to hospital, while as Naseema was battling for life.
Reports said that the assailants barged into the room of Iftikhar Ahmad, a resident of Gurez, at Iqbal Abad Bemina Masjid while he was away in the local Masjid to lead the prayers.
Police said that assailants slit the throat of Ahmad’s wife, Naseema, and two children with a sharp edged weapon. The trio, lying in a pool of blood, was rushed to hospital when the cleric returned home from the Masjid.
Police have taken the father of the murdered children and few other people into custody to investigate the murder.
Senior police officers reached the spot to ascertain the situation. A team of Forensic Science Laboratory team also reached the spot to collect samples.
Iftikhar Ahmad, the father of the two murdered children, while giving the statement in front of the police said that he was sleeping on the “Hamam” of the Al Noor Masjid after the morning prayers, when the incident happened in the residential room of the Masjid, specially made for him by the locals.
Iftikhar told police that he was informed about the incident by his wife who later fainted due to blood loss.
A large number of locals also reached the spot after the news spread that the family members of the local Imam have been murdered by some unidentified persons.
Police immediately took the children and the injured women to the hospital, where the two children has been declared brought dead by the doctors.
Police sources said that some vital clues have been found by them and some breakthrough will be achieved soon about the case.
The police spokesman later issued the statement about the incident. They said that today morning two children Aaliya Iftikhar and Mohammad Hashim and their mother Naseema age 40 years wife of Mohammad Iftikhar Lone, Imam Jamia Masjid Noor Iqbalabad, Srinagar resident of Gurez presently at Masjid Noor Iqbalabad, in the jurisdiction of police Station Batamaloo were found throat slit at their residence in Iqbal Abad.
Bodies of both the children have been shifted to Pantha Chowk hospital for post-mortem. Police has registered a case and investigation has been taken up. The forensic team has inspected to place of occurrence. In the initial investigations the father of the children and some others are being questioned by the police.
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