UP: Bhim Army worker Sumit accuses party of ignoring sister-in-law Puja’s murder by Mohd Alam to preserve Muslim votes

“Organisation doesn’t want to lose Muslim votes; hence did not help,” told Bhim Army worker Sumit Kumar, whose sister-in-law Puja was brutally murdered by Mohammad Alam on July 19. The case is from the Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh.

Sumit claimed that he was a senior member of the Dalit organisation Bhim Army. “When such a major incident happened to my sister-in-law, I went to the organisation for help but received zero support,” he said.

Organiser reported about the murder of a 30-year-old Dalit woman named Puja by 35-year-old Mohammad Alam after a conversion nikah on July 25. Puja was separated from her first husband and had been living alone with her three children. During this time, she developed a relationship with Mohammad Alam, who was also married and had four children. They had conversion nikah almost six months back and soon Puja was murdered by Alam.

Puja’s dead body is yet to be recovered by the police, while her children are with Sumit and his wife Poonam.

Sumit Kumar has been a senior member of the Bhim Army for 8 years. The Dalit organisation is led by Member of Parliament Chandrashekhar Azad ‘Ravan’ and is named after Bhim Rao Ambedkar.

“Last week, when Puja was killed by Alam, I went to the organisation for help, but received zero support,” Sumit reiterated.

He stated that after the incident, he went to the office of the Azad Samaj Party, where he spoke to various people, but no one helped him. “I believe I did not receive help because elections are approaching and no one wanted to lose Muslim votes due to the election,” he added.

He added, “Bypolls for [Ghaziabad Sadar] assembly seat are due and the organisation doesn’t want to lose Muslim votes.” Sumit made these revelations to Swarajya’s journalist.

While speaking with Organiser on July 25, he had asked to hide this information as the family was under threat and pressure. He said, “Mention me as a field worker and not as Dalit leader, as this may call more troubles for us, especially with Puja’s children being my responsibility.”

Notably, he was fearlessly speaking against the Uttar Pradesh Police. He questioned the police, who claimed the case was solved after Alam’s confession of killing Puja out of rage and then dumping her body in the Gang nahar.

In his confession to the police, Alam alleged that Puja’s repeated pleas to leave his wife and settle with her only made him furious, leading him to kill her.

In his confession, Alam said:

“Puja was living with me for almost four years. I married Puja about six months ago. She had three children from her first husband, Titu. After that, she lived with me. I am already married; my wife’s name is Shana, and we have four children. One of my sons, Jibral, aged about four years, has been ill for the last several days. I was getting treatment for him at Family Medicare Center, Main Road Mussoorie, Ghaziabad.”

“Puja was living with me at Childoon Academy School, Ghaziabad, near Sector-09. She often insisted that I leave my wife Shana and stay with her. This led to frequent arguments. One day, Puja called me, demanding that I come home. I told her that my son was in the hospital and I couldn’t come. Puja got angry and said she had been ill for many days, but I didn’t visit her. She threatened to come to the hospital and confront me there. Despite my attempts to calm her, she remained adamant, which made me furious. I decided to deal with her once and for all.”

However, Sumit mentioned, “The police showed us CCTV footage indicating that Alam left home with Puja and returned only seven minutes later, after allegedly killing her and disposing of her body in the canal. As someone who drives, I know it is virtually impossible to accomplish this in such a short time. There are other individuals involved in this case, and a thorough investigation will reveal their identities.”

Notably, when called on August 1, asking if the police had managed to locate the dead body of Puja, Sumit said, no and was angry with the inaction of the administration.

Asked if the correspondent can quote his statement against the Bhim Army, he said, “Anyone who does not help me in my difficult time deserves to be exposed. They chant Dalit Dalit when they need help and vanish off when we need them. You write, madam, I have no fear,” he added.

It is pertinent to mention here that, as the dead body of Puja is yet to be recovered, Alam is only booked under sections of kidnapping and not murder. As per the First Information Report (FIR number: 549/2024), Alam has been charged under Section 140(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which pertains to kidnapping or abduction for murder or ransom.

Speaking with Organiser, the victim’s elder sister, Poonam, said that Puja’s 11-year-old daughter disclosed that Alam regularly abused and assaulted her mother. A single night would not pass without abuse and assault. Every time he visited, he would demand more money and take all the earnings from the parlour.

Poonam informed this correspondent that the daughter also revealed that Alam had molested her. On several occasions, he touched her inappropriately, especially her upper body, which resulted in numerous fights between Puja and Alam.

The children had not shared these experiences with anyone outside the family until after a visit to the police station. They were terrified to see the police for the first time.

Sumit Kumar supports the children’s statements and vows to fight for justice. When asked if the minor boy had been circumcised, Sumit said no.

Notably, the FIR has no mention of this. The case is indeed far from over. Organiser is in touch with the family and will keep updating the details.