Missing teen’s body recovered from house in Faridabad after 10 months

Kulwinder Sandhu

Gurugram, June 23

The local police on Sunday recovered a highly decomposed body of a 17-year-old girl who was allegedly buried in the courtyard of her house after “murder” by her mother and brother around 10 months ago at Dhauj village in Faridabad district.

The body was recovered after the girl’s father Tahir, who is settled in Saudi Arabia, complained about his missing daughter, suspecting some foul play.

Tahir said he used to talk to his daughter regularly, but suddenly could not contact her about 10 months ago.

When he asked his wife Anifa Begum about their daughter, Anifa told him that she had eloped with a local youth against her wish. When he further asked about the youth and his family, she could not give him a satisfactory reply, he added.

Suspecting foul play, Tahir finally emailed a complaint to the police on June 7. When the police questioned Anifa about her daughter, she told the police that her daughter had died by suicide about 10 months ago.

She claimed that her daughter had eloped with a youth a year ago. Later on her return, all the relatives started taunting her, due to which she died by suicide, Anifa told the police.

The woman further claimed that fearing stigmatisation, she buried her daughter’s body in the house with the help of her son. Later, they filled the pit with sand and gravels and got the floor cemented so that no one would come to know about the body.

A police team, along with a local magistrate and scientists of the Forensic State Laboratory, reached the spot on Sunday and inspected the crime scene. The police has sent the highly decomposed body to a hospital for postmortem examination, which will be conducted on Monday.

After the recovery of the victim’s body, Anifa was taken into police custody. A criminal case of murder and destroying evidences has been registered against her on the complaint of the girl’s father. The police said they may question Anifa’s son as well in the due course of investigation.

During preliminary investigation, it has also came to light that the couple did not share a good relationship. Although they were living separately for years, Tahir used to talk to his children. It could be the reason he complained about her missing daughter after many months, the police said.

Meanwhile, Anifa in her statement to the police stated, “I did not kill her. She had affairs and ran away with a youth. We locked her up and slept. She died by suicide. Fearing stigmatisation, we buried her in the house. It was a big mistake, I admit it.”

Mujesar Assistant Commissioner of Police Mahesh Sheoran told the media that they were waiting for the postmortem report and further investigation would be conducted accordingly.

Held for murder, mother claims suicide

• When the police questioned Anifa about her daughter, she told the police that her daughter had died by suicide about 10 months ago.
• She claimed that her daughter had eloped with a youth a year ago. Later on her return, all relatives started taunting her, due to which she died by suicide.
• Fearing stigmatisation, the mother buried her daughter’s body in the house with the help of her son and they later got the floor cemented so that no one would come to know about the body, she added.