The accused (centre) in police custody, Tuesday. (Express Photo)
In a suspected case of honour killing, police have arrested a man for allegedly murdering his brother-in-law, in northeast Delhi’s Meet Nagar. The accused, 18-year-old Akram, allegedly shot 26-year-old Mohammad Atif in the head, police said.
According to police, Atif had eloped and married 19-year-old Rakhiya a year ago, despite objections from her family. Her relatives had, at the time, registered a kidnapping case against Atif, who was sent to jail for five months.
After he was released, the couple reunited and started staying together, police said. Speaking to The Indian Express, Rakhiya, who witnessed the murder, said, “My family kept issuing death threats, but my husband had a lot of courage. He would tell me that with time, everything will be alright.”
Rakhiya said she was not in touch with anyone in her family except her brother, now the prime accused in the case. “I still can’t believe he shot Atif. I trusted him,” she said. On Sunday, the couple were invited by Akram to Meet Nagar. “The accused used to attend a coaching centre in the locality. He offered to buy them a cold drink and went outside. He returned with a country-made pistol and shot Atif in the head,” said Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (North East) R P Meena. Atif was taken to GTB hospital, where he died two hours later, police said, adding that the accused then fled the spot.
Police constituted a six-member team to ascertain Akram’s whereabouts, and he was traced to a location in Loni, Ghaziabad. Police also claimed to have recovered the country-made pistol allegedly used to kill Atif from Akram’s possession. “We also recovered his bloodstained clothes, tying him to the murder,” said a police officer. Rakhiya alleged Akram had come with her father, uncle and a cousin brother. Meena said they are investigating the role of the family members, and that Akram is the only one to have been arrested so far.
Ever since Atif’s murder, his brother has been looking after Rakhiya, who is now staying at Ghaziabad. Atif and his brother used to work at an advertising company in Okhla. Atif had also worked in several other companies in Connaught Place, Gurgaon and Noida in the past, his family said. “He used to work really hard to support his wife. Atif thought that once he made enough money, his wife’s family would accept him,” his brother said. Rakhiya would usually accompany her husband to his workplace, since he feared for her life. “He would take me with him to office, and we would return together. My family had told me not to step foot in their house with him. They used to tell us that we would be murdered if we crossed their paths,” she alleged.