Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 3: In what has turned out to be shocking, the police in north Kashmir’s Kupwara today arrested the father of a minor girl for murdering her, by first, strangulating her, and then slitting her throat.
The dead body of the girl was earlier found in a tin shed near her house on March 29, prompting the police to launch an investigation to nab the culprits.
While giving details about the case, SSP Kupwara Youghal Manhas said that the accused, Mohammad Iqbal Khatana, has been arrested for the murder of his minor daughter in case FIR No. 28/2023 U/S 302-IPC of Police Station Lalpora
According to the official account of the events leading up to the murder of the young girl, Mohammad Iqbal Khatana arrived home from work around 16:15. He completed doing household chores, such as splitting firewood, between 16:15 and 1800.
Around 1830 hours, he got into a heated argument with his wife (Nageena Begum), with whom he hasn’t had a good relationship for the past year. “The pair have frequently experienced arguments that led to minor fights as well,” police said.
Police said that after he left for work the pair again had a contentious argument on the morning of March 29. “Iqbal’s brother Showkat Khatana arrived at the residence around 1815 hours, and he witnessed the couple’s subsequent heated arguments.”
At about 1840 hours (15 minutes before Iftaar), police said, the estranged Iqbal went to the kitchen, hid the kitchen knife, and then left the residence, claiming that he had to fix his punctured stepney tyre.
Iqbal was planning to kill himself, according to the police, while Uzma Iqbal-the murdered child-followed her father as he left and asked for 5 Rupees while Iqbal handed him a 10 Rs note.
“Uzma followed her father up to the main road, where she was no longer visible due to line of sight blockage because the main road is on higher ground, as observed by Nageena Begum, Showket Khatna (the brother of Iqbal), Asif Khatana (the cousin of Iqbal), and Haji Salam Din Khatana (the uncle of Iqbal).”
According to the police, the witnesses believed that Uzma had gone with her father to fix his stepney tyre at Khurhama. Iqbal drove Uzma to Harden Road (crossing), then continued to the Sewer via the link road. “At 19:15, he arrived at the Khurhama Bus Stand, where he waited for Isha Azaan until 2010 until the street became empty and Iqbal could easily commit suicide.”
He continued driving to Her-Khurhama near a Transformer, where he stopped the car as people began to depart for Taraweeh.
There, police said, under the influence of mental distress brought on by marital problems, he suffocated Uzma for two to three minutes, killing her there and then.
He then parked his car in a nearby spot, walked left towards Tin-Shed (Power-Project), and from there sneakily made his way to the firewood storage area next to his uncle’s home.
Iqbal killed the girl and laid her in the firewood shed with her chest facing upwards before severing her neck with the knife to blame the residents of the homes next to the firewood shed and spare his skin.
However, when family realised he was missing Uzma, they panicked and started looking for her. “At around 21:15, they also contacted three Masjids to make announcements about Uzma’s disappearance over loudspeakers. Iqbal drove to PP Khurhama with a small group of other people to report Uzma missing.”
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