Giridih:
A man was allegedly assaulted, strangled and killed in Jharkhand’s Giridih after he went to a group of tour operators to inquire about the whereabouts of his parents, who had gone to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage and had not returned for days.
According to a police complaint, the victim, Haider Ansari, grew anxious after his parents, who went to Saudi Arabia on October 7 for Umrah, failed to come home days after their scheduled return date of October 24.
Haider, a resident of Charghara in the Herodih police station area, went to a madrasa on November 5 operated by Maulana Ilyas Ansari, who had sent his parents on the pilgrimage in exchange for Rs 30,000.
He had been repeatedly visiting the madrasa, enquiring about his parents’ whereabouts. On November 5, he took his cousin Israfil Ansari with him. The incident happened in the Khorimahua area, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Dhanwar police station.
The complaint, filed by Haider’s brother Parvez Ansari, states that the accused persons reacted aggressively when he reached the madrasa. A heated argument followed after Haider told the maulana (religious head) that he would inform the police about his suspicious activities.
This angered the maulana, who feared that he might get into trouble, the complaint said.
Subsequently, as Haider was returning, he was sabotaged by several accused persons, who have been named in the police complaint, near the Khorimahua mosque.
The complaint states that the accused Sanaullah Ansari and Abid Ansari threw Haider on the ground and started strangling him. Maulana Ilyas Ansari held one of his legs, while Asad Ansari held the other. Baba Islam hit him on the chest, while Afzal Ansari, along with several other men, kicked and punched him. Ultimately, Ilyas Ansari strangled him to death.
The incident has triggered tensions in Giridih, with people blocking the road in Khorimahua.
The complaint names Sanaullah Ansari, Abid Ansari, Baba Islam, Afzal Ansari, Asad Ansari, Maulana Ilyas Ansari, Md. Adnan Ansari, Naseem Ansari (husband of the Mukhiya of Gajisaran Panchayat), and about half a dozen unidentified individuals as accused. It also levels other serious charges against them, including the operation of an illicit business under the guise of travel services for Hajj and Umrah.
Cops have said that Haider’s body has been sent for post-mortem and further action will be taken after the report and statements of eyewitnesses.
