The victim Sheetal Chouhan on the left and accused Shahbez on the right
Sheetal Chouhan married Nargis Parveen in 2020 under the Special Marriage Act of 1954. It was a love marriage but Nargis did not elope with Sheetal, they informed the court after which Nargis was taken out of her house under the police protection.
Both Sheetal and Nargis hail from the Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh.
They lived happily and had a son (one and a half years old). Nargis cut all ties with her family as they were against the alliance since the beginning.
On April 2, Shahbez Ansari, Nargi’s brother fired a bullet at Sheetal who managed to survive. The bullet passed from near his jaw, he is currently at the hospital.
Two subsequent First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered in this case and the accused Shahbez has been arrested by the police.
Shahbez attacked Sheetal as he was against the alliance, he never approved of the relationship between him and Nargis. Sheetal is a Hindu and belongs to the Rajput caste.
As per the press note released by Bijnor police the movie behind the attack was Sheetal’s love affair with Nargis. Shahbez and his family were against the alliance.
Police recovered a 315-bore pistol, one used and three unused cartridges and a knife from the accused. For carrying illegal arms the accused has also been booked under the Arms Act.
Tune Hindu hokar hamari behen se shadi ki, tujhe nahi chhodenge
A First Information Report (number–131/2023) was registered at the Haldaur police station on April 2 by the victim’s younger brother Manvendra Singh.
In his complaint, Manvendra told the police that, Parvez and Suhaib arrived at the shop around 1.30 pm and started hurling abuses at Sheetal. They said, “Tune Hindu hokar hamari behen Nargis se love marriage ki hai. Aaj hum tujhe jaan se maar denge [you have had a love marriage with our sister despite being a Hindu, we will kill you today].”
They were equipped with a gun and began firing at Sheetal intending to kill him. They fired multiple bullets, Sheetal managed to dodge some of them but one of the bullets passed by his chin.
As soon as Manvendra and Sumit reached the shop, the attackers ran away.
The police booked Shahbez, Parvez and Suhaib under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder), 504 (insult), 506 (grievous insult) and 34 (Act committed with common intention).
Another FIR (number–132/2023) was registered by Sheetal’s wife Nargis against Shahbez accusing him of giving her death threats.
As per the complaint, Nargis said, after Shahbez attacked Sheetal, he was admitted to the Bijnor government hospital. Sheetal’s brother Manvendra registered a complaint against Shahbez as a result he reached her doorstep on April 2 around 10:15 and threatened her saying “I have shot Sheetal and if you and your in-laws dare to take any action against me, I will kill you and your son”.
After Nargis’s complaint, the police booked Shahbez under IPC sections 504 (intentionally insulting) and 506 (criminal intimidation).
As per the press note released by the Bijnor police, the accused Shahbez has been booked under the Arms Act as well. For this, a third FIR (number–134/2023) has been registered at the Haldaur police station.
Nargis told Organiser Weekly that, Sheetal married her under the Special Marriage Act
This correspondent called Manvendra on April 3, while Sheetal was still in the hospital.
Manvendra says, he lives out for work and visits home on vacation. They had a garments shop in the Kherabad area of Bijnor. He witnessed the attack as he brought food for Sheetal at the shop.
Nargis told this correspondent that she belongs to the Ansari caste in Muslims.
She has done her post-graduate degree in commerce (M. Com she said). Before marriage she lived in the Kherabad area of Bijnor, it takes an hour to reach Kherabd from Haldore where Sheetal lived.
She said, they met at the college and fell in love with each other.
Asked if she eloped with Sheetal for marriage. She said, “I have orders from the court Mam”.
“I did not elope with him, we moved a plea at the High Court for our wedding after getting the orders the police came to my parent’s house took me out and then we got married,” said Nargis.
They both were married at an Arya Samaj temple as per Hindu rituals.
After leaving the house, Nargis cut all ties with her family, no one even her mother ever contacted her after she married Sheetal. They have a son, and she follows Hindu customs and this hurts them (her brothers) the most.
About her family she said, she has three brothers and mother. Her father died while she was so young. Shahbez runs a ‘Kirana’ (grocery) store while two of her brothers are Software engineers and live in Bangalore.
Even after coming from an educated family, Shahbez attacked Sheetal, just because he was a Hindu.
This correspondent called Manvendra again on April 6, he said Sheetal was recovering and that he will soon get discharged from the hospital.
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