Man kills 4 sisters, mother in Lucknow hotel room
The DCP said Arshad's family lived in Agra and preliminary inquiry has revealed that he took the step because of domestic disputes
PTI
Lucknow, 1 Jan
A 24-year-old man allegedly killed
his four sisters and mother inside a hotel room here on Wednesday, claiming
land-related harassment by some locals of his community in their hometown Agra,
police said.
The accused, Mohammad Arshad, was
arrested shortly after the chilling incident which took place in the busy Naka
area of the city came to light, a senior police officer said.
Central Lucknow Deputy Commissioner
of Police (DCP) Raveena Tyagi said the incident took place at Hotel Sharanjeet.
"The accused, identified as Arshad (24), allegedly killed five members of
his own family. Following the gruesome act, the local police promptly
apprehended the accused from the crime scene," Tyagi said.
The deceased have been identified
as Alia (9), Alshia (19), Aksa (16) and Rahmeen (18) -- all sisters of Arshad.
The fifth victim is Asma, the mother of the accused, according to the police.
The DCP said Arshad's family lived
in Agra and preliminary inquiry has revealed that he took the step because of
domestic disputes.
Forensic teams have been deployed
at the crime spot to collect evidence while a detailed probe has been launched
into the matter, she said.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime and Headquarters) Babloo Kumar, who arrived at the scene, told reporters, "Inquiry is also being conducted with nearby hotel staff and any findings will be shared with the media as soon as they come to light... Regarding the bodies recovered, some show signs of injuries --on the wrist of one and on the neck of another. "Based on these marks, statements from witnesses and the post-mortem report, we are conducting a detailed investigation into the matter," he added.
A purported video surfaced on
social media shortly after the shocking incident came to light in which Arshad
confessed to slitting the wrists and throats of his sisters and mother.
He claimed that he took the extreme
step due to harassment and oppression by the residents of his locality. "I,
along with my entire family, am forced to take this step in helplessness and
despair... I have killed my sisters and myself. When the police get this video,
I request that they hold the people of the locality responsible for all of
this," Arshad said.
He alleged that the people of his
locality have committed "unimaginable atrocities" on his family
members in order to snatch away their house. Despite raising their voices, no
one ever listened to them, he said. "It has been 10 days now, and we have
been forced to sleep on the footpath and wander in the cold. They have taken
our house from us, even though we have the legal papers for the property. We
wanted to dedicate it to a temple and change our religion, but everything has
been snatched away from us," he said.
Arshad made an appeal to the police
and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the video clip. "When
the police get this video, I have a plea to the Lucknow police and Yogi Ji (UP
CM Yogi Adityanath) -- Do not spare such Muslims. What you are doing is
commendable because these Muslims are involved in land grabbing and oppression
everywhere. They engage in unlawful activities, including counterfeit currency
operations," Arshad added.
He stressed that his family tried
its best to take action against them but failed.
Arshad held the entire locality
responsible for the killings. He named Ranu (alias Aftab), Ahmed, Aleem Khan,
Salim Driver, Ahmed Ranu, Arif and Azhar as the responsible people. "These
people run a massive land mafia gang and are involved in human trafficking,
including girls," he alleged.
"Their plan was to frame us in
a false case and send us to jail while selling our sisters to a man in
Hyderabad who supplies girls. This was something we could not allow, and it is
why we were forced to take this step. It is 2 am as I speak, and I have had to
kill everyone by slitting their wrists," he confessed.
Arshad showed in the video clip the
dead bodies of his sisters, lying on a bed wrapped in blankets, and his mother.
Later, Arshad mentioned that he,
too, might not survive until morning. He claimed that he had sought help from
the police and various political groups, but no help ever arrived.
He said his family originally
hailed from Budaun and possessed documents dating back to 1947 through his
aunt, proving their identity. Despite this, they were being falsely accused and
labelled as Bangladeshi migrants.
Arshad said, "Our entire
family's proof lies with our aunt. We wanted to convert to Hinduism because of
the harassment from the locality. We wanted to build a temple there and live
peacefully. We even used to worship."
"In a little while, I will
also die. But I want to say one thing -- no family in India should have to face
such a situation again. Modi Ji and Yogi Ji, I fold my hands and request you to
understand that not every Muslim is the same.
"If we couldn't get justice
while alive, then after our deaths, the culprits should be given the harshest
punishment," he said, and claimed that the local people have political and
police connections.
He said they have already taken
half of their property and were trying to take the rest.
"But I must say that if you
are true Hindus and Thakurs, please know we wanted to convert to Hinduism. That
house should only become a temple, and whatever belongings we have, especially
what our sisters lovingly collected, should be donated to an orphanage so that
our souls may find peace," he said.
Arshad also clarified that the
people of the guest house where his family was staying in Lucknow were not at
fault in this incident.
It is not yet clear when did the
family reach Lucknow from Agra and also the reason behind it.
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