The Hindu : Murderers' call rings loud and clear

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 01, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

Murderers' call rings loud and clear

Investigating officials found it hard to crack a murder mystery, as they could not identify the victim. However, a call from a Mobitel phone led them to the alleged murderers, writes K. Srinivas Reddy.

The strangulation marks were clearly visible. The cut injury, apparently caused by a blunt weapon, indicated there was indeed some struggle before the 35-year-old man was strangled. Perhaps, the hit on the head was meant to immobilise him. Considering the build of the murder victim, at least two persons could have been involved. It was also clear that he was done to death elsewhere and his body dumped near Kailashnagar graveyard in the early hours of April 22.

Tackling a murder case was not a new thing for investigators in the Humayunnagar station and they were confident of cracking the mystery. The only obstacle was the identity of the victim. Nothing was found in the pockets of the pants and shirt and the only conclusion police could arrive at was that the victim was a Muslim. If only he was identified, the case was as good as solved. It was a hope against hope that some relative would notice the photos of the victim and approach the police. True to their apprehensions, days passed but there was no information coming forth.

The only other alternative for the police was to get thousands of pamphlets printed and distributed in surrounding localities inhabited by Muslims. Regular announcements at mosques also proved futile. There was a lingering suspicion that perhaps he was not a resident of Hyderabad at all. Following this, notices were also sent to stations in the neighbouring States, but even this exercise did not yield any result.

Investigators were literally groping in the dark, when they learnt about a strange complaint of missing registered with the Golconda police. An old man complained that his daughter, wife of Akram, and her two children were missing since April 22. What aroused the suspicions were the tallying of the date of missing and the date of murder. The old man subsequently got a call from his daughter, who told her father that she was safe and there was no need to worry. Using a caller identification telephone, the old man got a Mobitel number.

The police immediately swung into action and got the phone owner, who claimed that he had loaned the phone to his friend Imran. When Imran was brought for questioning, all the pieces in the jigsaw puzzle fell in place. He confessed to killing Akram with the help of two of his friends and dumping the body near Kailashnagar graveyard. The reason, as per the confessional statement recorded by the police, was that Imran had allegedly developed illicit intimacy with Akram's wife and wanted to elope her.

On April 22, police said, Imran went to the house of Akram and wanted to take away the latter's wife, when Akram woke up and picked up a fight with him. Imran immediately summoned Nabi and Afroze, who were waiting in a Maruti van outside the house, and all the three attacked Akram. They strangled him with a wire. After the killing, they confessed, Imran went away with the woman and kids, while Nabi and Afroze took away the body in the van and dumped it near the graveyard. All the four, including the woman, were arrested on charge of murder and they are now in judicial remand.

The case was investigated by Inspector M.D. Vivekananda of Humayunnagr station with the help of SI Satish Kumar of Golconda station and constables Mohammed Jahangir and Chandramouli of Humayunnagar station.)

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