A horrifying case of domestic violence has shaken the Shamli district of Uttar Pradesh, where a man allegedly murdered his wife and two young daughters following a dispute over the wife not wearing a burqa. The meticulously planned crime, which took place in early December, came to light only days later after relatives grew suspicious.
The Grisly Discovery in Garhi Daulat
Police in Kandhla, Shamli, made a grim discovery late on Tuesday night, December 12, exhuming three bodies from a nine-foot-deep pit in the courtyard of a house in Garhi Daulat village. The victims were identified as 35-year-old Taira, and her daughters, 14-year-old Afreen and 7-year-old Sahreen. The prime accused is Taira's husband, Mohammad Farukh (37), who was arrested on Wednesday after confessing to the brutal killings.
A Month-Long Grudge and Meticulous Planning
According to investigators, the trigger for this barbaric act was an incident about a month prior, when Taira had stepped out of her parental home without wearing a burqa. This act had deeply angered Farukh. Police stated that Farukh, who dropped out of school in Class 5 and worked odd jobs at hotels and weddings, then began plotting the murders with chilling precision.
Days before the crime, under the pretext of constructing a toilet, he dug the deep pit in his courtyard. He also procured three country-made pistols and 20 cartridges, even test-firing the weapons to ensure they were functional. The horrific plan was executed around midnight on December 9.
The Night of the Murders and the Aftermath
As per Farukh's alleged confession to the police, he woke his wife on the pretext of asking for tea. When Taira went into the courtyard to light the stove, he shot her in the head. The gunshot alerted their elder daughter, Afreen, who ran out and was shot next. When the younger daughter, Sahreen, woke up, Farukh allegedly strangled her. He then dumped all three bodies into the pre-dug pit and sealed it.
The couple's three other children — Asmeen (10), Bilal (9), and Arshad (5) — slept through the horrific incident. The next morning, Farukh told them that their mother and sisters had shifted to a rented place in Shamli. Since Taira had previously stayed at her parents' house for nearly a month, the story did not raise immediate suspicion.
Suspicions Rise and the Case Unravels
However, Farukh's parents, Daud and Asgari, grew concerned after not seeing Taira and the girls for several days. Daud alerted the village head and Taira's father, Amir Ahmad. Amir Ahmad subsequently filed a missing report at the Kandhla police station on Tuesday evening around 5 pm, which swiftly led police to Farukh and the gruesome discovery.
Shamli Superintendent of Police NP Singh confirmed, "Farukh explicitly cited her not wearing burqa as the reason for this barbaric act. Further investigation is underway."
Police have registered a case against Farukh under BNS Section 103(1) for murder and Section 238(2) for causing disappearance of evidence, along with relevant sections of the Arms Act. From his possession, police recovered three illegal pistols, seven spent cartridges, and 10 live cartridges. A forensic team has examined the crime scene and collected evidence.
The case has sent shockwaves through the local community and highlights extreme outcomes of domestic disputes and controlling behavior. The three surviving children are now in the care of relatives as the legal process begins.
