While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Telangana has been claiming that the murder of Billipuram Nagaraju, a Dalit youth, was the result of a Hindu-Muslim rift, the remand report filed by Hyderabad Police reveals that the case prime facie hinges on a complaint filed against a caste atrocity.
Nagaraju married a Muslim woman, Syed Ashrin Sultana, on 31 January. Sultana’s brother Syed Mobin Ahmed and his relative Mohammed Masood Ahmed are now accused of beating and stabbing Nagaraju to death at a traffic signal in Hyderabad city. The murder, which was recorded on camera, was committed in full public view. In the video taken by bystanders at the crime scene, a traumatised Sultana is seen begging for Nagaraju’s life.
The BJP has been demanding justice for Nagaraju by projecting him as a Hindu victim.
What Does the Complaint Quoted in the Remand Report Say?
As per the remand report, the case against the two accused was registered based on a complaint filed at midnight on 5 May by Raju, a relative of Nagaraju. In the complaint, Raju has said that Mobin Ahmed and Masood Ahmed were “not interested in the marriage of Ashrin Sultana with the Dalit community person Nagaraju.”
Nagaraju was Raju’s cousin’s son. He was present at Nagaraju’s wedding with Sultana on 31 January.
According to the complaint, after Nagaraju’s marriage with Sultana, the couple along with Raju approached Vikarabad SP office. Nagaraju’s home is at Marpally, a village in Vikarabad district, which is close to Hyderabad. The couple also approached the Mominpet police station in Vikarabad.
While the reason for the visits to the police offices are not mentioned in the complaint, The Quint had earlier learnt that the couple had reported a threat to their lives before the police.
The relatives of Sultana, too, approached the Mominpet police station, because they had earlier, on 1 February, filed a complaint stating Sultana was missing from her home. At the station, Sultana told her relatives and the police that she married Nagaraju out of her own volition. The couple went on to live at a rented home in Saroornagar in Hyderabad. Nagaraju was working as a marketing executive at a car showroom in Hyderabad.
What Does the Police’s Investigation Reveal?
Though the police’s investigation relies heavily on the complaint filed by Raju, the remand report does not directly ascribe either a religious or a caste motive to the crime. The remand report filed before Metropolitan Magistrate Court, however, reads, “This is a case of “brutal murder” of the deceased who belongs to SC Mala community by the accused A1 and A2 of Muslim community…”
As per the investigation, the police claims that the accused Mobin Ahmed confessed to having known in 2021 that his younger sister Sultana was in love with Nagaraju of Mala caste and a resident of Marpally.
Upon knowing about the relationship the accused allegedly beat Sultana. He again “admonished” Sultana in January this year. She left her home on 30 January and got married on 31 January.
The police investigation reveals that Ahmed "developed a grudge" towards Nagaraju after Sultana refused to leave him even after her family approached the Mominpet police stating that she had gone missing from her home.
The investigation has revealed that the accused has digitally tracked Nagaraju’s phone as he knew his mobile number, email id, and password. The digital id and phone number were used to track his phone on ‘Find My Phone’ app. As per the police investigation, Ahmed had allegedly tried to track Nagaraju’s movements using the app even one month prior to the murder but had failed.
However, on 4 May, Ahmed allegedly succeeded in tracking Nagaraju’s phone. He later sought the help of Masood Ahmed, his brother-in-law. The two allegedly met up at Saroornagar where the couple resided.
As Nagaraju and Sultana were returning from their relative Lingam’s home in Saroornagar to their rented home nearby, the accused persons allegedly stopped and attacked them.
The police have recovered the iron rod and the knife that were allegedly used to beat up and stab Nagaraju. The accused persons’ phones were also seized during interrogation. The police have registered cases under section 302 of IPC (murder) and Prevention of (Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe) Atrocities Act 1989.
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