It is over a year and the police are yet to make headway in the investigation into the murder of 35-year-old Razia and her 10-year-old daughter Fathima Zua. The situation has not changed much even after Criminal Investigation Department took over investigation in April.
Razia, wife of scrap merchant P. Hameed and their daughter Fathima Zua were found dead in their house on the busy Panjimogaru Main Road on June 28, 2011. The body of Razia was found outside the two-storey house while Zua’s body was found in the living room. The two had stab injuries on the chest, hands and other parts of the body. According to the first information report filed at the Mangalore Rural Police station the murder occurred 30 minutes after Hameed left the house.
With the city police failing to make any breakthrough, the case was transferred to the CID’s Homicide and Burglary Squad in April. “We have so far not made a breakthrough in the murder. The investigation is on. We are working on some credible clues,” said a CID officer involved in the investigation. The officer suspects that persons known to Razia were involved in the murder. The 10-year-old Zua was killed since she was a witness to the crime, the officer said.
‘Not serious’
Some of the Razia’s relatives are not happy with the police investigation. “The CID has not questioned all persons related to Razia,” said the Razia’s brother Haneef. The CID called him and other relatives for questioning in Bangalore for two days, while leaving out Razia’s husband and his relatives. “The police is discriminating between the haves and the have-nots,” Mr. Haneef alleged.
Democratic Youth Federation Dakshina Kannada unit’s Secretary Muneer Katipalla claimed the CID investigation team has so far not visited Mangalore for the investigation. “There seems to be no serious effort to find the offenders, who are powerful people,” Mr. Katipalla said. It was following a protest by the DYFI, Mangalore Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh ordered suspension of two policemen following allegations of harassment of a suspect.
