Friday (October 22) was like any other day for 19-year-old Kirti in Burari’s Radha Vihar. She woke up at her usual time, that is 6:30 am.
A phone call from her husband Mohammed Azad Khan brought an unusual smile on her face. Khan told her that after the Friday prayer, he would come to pick her up and they would go to his place.
She had always dreamed of this.
After relationship of more than a year, Kirti had decided to marry Mohammed Azam Khan. It was tough for her to convince her family but she had made up her mind. For her, it was like “Only Azad or nobody”.
Her family did everything to convince her that they would find a better match for her but Kirti did not relent.
Bowing to her pressure, the family reluctantly agreed for her court marriage to Mohammed Azad Khan. On October 14, the two got married in Karkardooma court.
After the marriage, Khan went back to his place promising he would make living arrangements soon and take Kirti to his place.
A week passed and that phone call came on October 22 that Khan had made arrangements for their living and would be taking her at his place.
Not once did Kirti realise that the lifespan of her dreams was too short, in fact, just few hours.
Khan took Kirti to his maternal uncle Mohammed Farooq’s home in West Kamala Vihar, which is just a kilometer from Kirti’s residence in Radha Vihar.
She was still clueless about intentions of Khan.
In the late evening on October 22, she made a phone call to her mother Guddu Devi.
“She called me at around 11 in night and was crying on phone. Khan has not made any arrangement at Farooq’s place. She didn’t tell me anything more. I just asked her to calm down and promised to visit her in the morning”, Devi told Organiser.
Arjun, Kirti’s brother, went to her place early morning. What he found shocked him beyond belief.
The door was locked from outside and Kirti’s body was lying inside in a pool of blood. In shock and horror, he called his parents who rushed to the place in no time.
In the meantime, a phone call was made to the Delhi police. The police team opened the door.
"There were 17-18 stab wounds on her chest, abdomen and hands. There were marks on her face too”, Devi told Organiser.
“Some people used to visit Farooq’s house. On Friday night too, some people visited. But, since, the road construction was going on exactly in the same lane, we could not her the noise at night”, Seema, Farooq’s neighbour told Organiser.
The police arrested Mohammed Azad Khan on October 23 and sent him to jail.
“When we got call, a team was immediately rushed to the spot. The body was sent for post-mortem. The accused has been arrested and further investigation is on in the case”, SHO Burari police station Rajendra Prasad told Organiser.
Sudesh, victim’s father, told Organiser that he never liked his daughter’s relationship with Azad Khan but bowed to her pressure.
“The murder looks very planned. Khan took her to his maternal uncle Farooq’s place where no one lives. He took her on the day when he knew the construction of the adjoining road would be done the same night”, Sudesh told Organiser.
He added “Khan alone could not have killed my daughter. I’m sure there were other people involved. What changed in just few hours?”
Kirti’s family lives in one room house in Radha Vihar. It was never sufficient for the family of six members. But, this is all Sudesh, who sells indigo and phenyle in the nearby areas, could afford for his family.
Kirti wanted to study but couldn’t afford to. To support her father’s income, she dropped out of school and started working as a maid in Delhi’s Model Town.
In the same area, in December last year, Anuj and Brahman were murdered by Saddam, Noorhasan, Saihasan, Mohammed Golu and Hakla. The murder happened in broad daylight at 5 pm but no one came forward to testify against the accused.
“The Muslim terror is increasing in the area. The fear is such that no one comes forward to testify against them. In the December murder case too, no witness came forward”, Mahesh Kumar, Burari District’s Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) Mahamantri told Organiser.
He added “Muslims in the area are encroaching upon the government land and police does nothing to check it. This emboldens them a lot.”
Kirti was murdered on October 22 night and police have not visited Kirti’s family even once.
In another case of Love Jihad in West Kamala Vihar, property broker Nafees Khan is threatening Neha Shrivastava. Her matter is sub judice. Nafees Khan’s family is influential in the area, owning many properties.
On October 25, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) took out a candle march in Burari district, demanding justice for Kirti.
But, lackadaisical approach of police is what worries Sudesh the most. “The accused family is threatening us that if we don’t compromise they’ll ensure we meet our daughter’s fate. I’m sure Azad Khan is not alone in this crime but police is not arresting other people”, he told Organiser.
Farooq’s neighbour Seema told Organiser, “There are some Muslim families in the area but they are very dominant. And their getting away with other crimes emboldens them much. Police must do something to ensure they fear law.”
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