People's Democracy

AIDWA Demands Law on Honour Killings

AN AIDWA delegation comprising of Sudha Sundararaman, Jagmati Sangwan, Kirti Singh, TN Seema, and Jharna Das, met the WCD minister, Krishna Tirath, and submitted a memorandum with regard to the rising graph of killings and crimes in the name of honour,  on December 11, 2012. They were accompanied by family members of the victim’s namely Nizamuddin, Toshif, Alimuddin, Md.Sharif. The delegation placed before the minister important demands relating to the murder of Abdul Hakim, to ensure justice for his family, protection and rehabilitation of the widow, and exemplary action against the police who had been negligent in providing security for the couple.

The delegation stressed the importance of a legislation to address the so called “honour” crimes and killings.

The minister responded positively to the suggestions and assured the delegation that their demands would be looked into seriously.

The delegation earlier met the NCW chairperson, Mamta Sharma and other members, to hand over the memorandum, and were assured that the NCW had already moved to carry out many of the demands that were raised. The delegation was informed that a list of such incidents is being prepared, and a larger convention is planned on the issue next month.

The following is the fact finding report of the AIDWA delegation.

Fact finding report of the AIDWA delegation.

When the AIDWA delegation, comprising of its national vice president, TN Seema, ( MP, Rajya Sabha) and national vice president, Jagmati Sangwan and Zareena Khursheed, ( UP president) reached  the house of Abdul Hakim, who was murdered on November 22, in the village of Adoli in Bulandshahr district  in West UP, there were two lady police constables and 2-3 men police constables for the security. Wife of Abdul Hakim, Mehwish whose delivery date was due soon seemed to be very upset and frightened that she and her 18 months daughter also would be killed by the same criminals. Her mother in law, Abdul Hakim’s mother who is in her seventies is mentally disturbed for the last many months after her husband’s death. Abdul Hakim’s father Abdul Hafiz also was tortured by Mehwish’s relatives two years back at the time when they eloped and got married. Infact the delegation got to know that Hakim's father was earlier allegedly killed by Mehwish's family in the village, although it was shown as suicide in police records. Hakim's elder brother was brutally tortured in the police station for 15 days after the couple eloped. Hakim and Mehwish returned to the village because of Hakim's mother’s  illness and since Mehwish was expecting.

 Abdul Hakim’s brothers and relatives strongly believe that their life also is in danger since the police is not even ready to acknowledge this murder as an “honour” killing. Hakim’s brothers and Mehwish suspect  that the administration is deliberately trying to treat this case as a personal enmity. From 2010 onwards, many complaints have been submitted to the local police station and to the higher police officers by Abdul Hakim and Mehwish and by his relatives on the continuous attacks on the part of Mehwish’s relatives, but police neglected them and didn’t take the complaints seriously. It is a clear cut case of honour killing as  Mehwish belongs to higher caste  Joja Muslim who are rich, having land and  other assets, while Abdul Hakim belongs to lower caste, Fakir, and extremely poor. It is evident that caste and money have played a major role in the whole story.

Mehwish complained that the SP visited the house only after six days of the murder. DM visited only on the seventh day. IG of police came to the head office and asked Mehwish to go to the camp to take her statement!! One policeman from LIU (local investigation unit) visited Mehwish and forced her not to give the statement that it is honour killing. She said the police man warned her that after some days there will be no media and others, then she can’t live there peacefully. Mehwish  feels that Hakim's life could have been saved had the police acted on a recent complaint  lodged by him, that few villagers were on the lookout for him.

Ever since the couple got married, local panchayats had shown their support to Mehwish's relatives, even by giving decrees to Hakim's family to leave the village. When Hakim's relatives went into hiding fearing attacks, panchayat locked up their house after letting criminals loot all their belongings.

The delegation met SSP Gulab Singh of Bulandshahr at his office. He tried his level best to convince the members that Hakim’s murder was not a planned one. It is surprising and shocking that without even completing the investigation, the SSP has come up with a story, thereby diverting the focus of the case from honour killing to casual quarrel and arguments which ended up in murder. His main argument was that, among the total five accused, only two are relatives of Mehwish, others are from Hakim’s caste, Fakir. But he had purposefully hidden the fact that those three who belong to fakir caste are working under the main accused.

The delegation has placed the following demands before the administration: