Camera: Athar Rather
Senior Editor: Shelly Walia
Video Editor: Ashutosh Bharadwaj
(TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions of sexual assault and physical violence. Viewer discretion advised.)
An eerie silence clung on to the air at Sabiya Saifi's (name changed) house in Delhi's Sangam Vihar. The family was sitting inside their flat, with the doors firmly shut – away from the neighbors, activists and other stakeholders who were sitting in protest, right outside their home.
The 21-year-old Civil Defence employee was allegedly abducted, raped and brutally murdered in Haryana's Faridabad on 26 August. While one person, who confessed to the alleged murder, was arrested by the police, family says there's more to it than what meets the eye.
What Happened on the Night Sabiya Khan Was Murdered?
"My daughter left the house at 11 am on 26 August. She used to return at 7 pm every day. But that day she did not come home. I went searching for her. At 11 pm, I went to the DM office (in Lajpat Nagar) where she used to work," Sabiya's father told The Quint.
Her parents assert that they spent all night going from Khan's workplace to her friends' houses in search of her. But the morning after, they were summoned to Surajkund police station. It was here, they learnt, that their daughter was allegedly murdered.
"There (at Surajkund police station), they made me sit on one side and asked whether my wife was sick. I told them she had high blood pressure. Then, they made her sit on the other side. They took me aside and said that my daughter has been murdered and I couldn't tell this to my wife."
Nizamuddin – The Accused Who Claims To Be Sabiya's Husband
The man, identified as Mohammed Nizamuddin, surrendered before the Kalindi Kunj police station in Delhi, alleging that he murdered Sabiya. He also claimed that Sabiya and him married at a Saket court earlier this year – a claim that the family refutes.
"They told me that a man named Mohammed Nizamuddin had committed the murder and that he had surrendered in the Kalindi Kunj police station. Then the cops wrote whatever they wanted to write. Around 2 o'clock, they took us to Vijay hospital (in Faridabad). We were waiting for half an hour. Then, the doctor came and post-mortem was done in 25-30 minutes. I told the cops that I didn't have anyone here and I wanted to take her body to our village. They gave me their approval."Sabiya Saifi's Father
'Bruises All Over Body, Breasts Chopped': Father
It was in the village (which the family does not want to name), when they were preparing her body for the burial that they noticed that she had bruises all over her body, including hands and neck, and her chest stabbed.
"We reached our village around 10 pm on 27 August. And on 28 August, when we were preparing her for burial when we opened the wrapping around her body we noticed that her chest was stabbed. There was no space where it was not stabbed. On 29 August, I called the police and told them to give me the FIR and post-mortem reports. They told me to go home and said that they will call me," father told The Quint.
"This has not been done by one or two men. Multiple men have done this. She was stabbed from behind, in her cheek and her neck. She was also stabbed in the stomach," he added.
On Allegations That She Was Married
The Haryana Police claim that Nizamuddin told them that Sabiya and him got married in a Saket court earlier this year. However, the family say that they "do not believe it," and are seeking a marriage certificate to confirm it.
On 7 September, the case was transferred to Crime Branch, DLF for further investigation.
"Everyone is saying that she is married... But the family, we do not know about this. We don't have any proof that we can see and tell. But if she is his wife, even if the marriage certificate is shown, for now we are not accepting because we don't know. Even if it comes before us, we will accept it because she was a major. But no one can marry her and do this to her. It is not right."Sabiya Saifi's Cousin
Sabiya's father, however, sought that the case be transferred to the Delhi Police.
"We are old and poor. I cannot keep going to Faridabad every day. I want the case to be transferred to Delhi. I want justice for my daughter. I am asking with folded hands. Please punish everyone who did this to her."
(Note: The family has given their consent to be identified on video. The Quint, however, has changed the victim's name.)
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