Family members of a woman, Rashida Manzoor, who died under mysterious circumstances at Naikbagh Nowgam here on city outskirts Friday staged protest here claiming that she was murdered allegedly by her in-laws.
Rashida’s family assembled at Press Enclave here and staged protests. “She was not given any food for four days. She has recorded her last video message ‘Bury me at Padshahibagh (parental home) graveyard, take care of my child after my death’ in her mobile phone,” they said.
The family said Rashida (26) was married to Abid Yusuf Najar of Naikbagh Shah-i-Hamdan Colony Nowgam in October 2017. The couple has a male baby out of the wedlock. The baby is four month old.
“Her husband made a call to her brother around 11:30 am on Wednesday saying she was unwell. Her brother along with other two friends reached Naikbagh where he came to know that she has been taken to Florence Hospital for treatment,” he said.
The family was shocked when she was declared dead in the hospital. Rashida’s uncle, Muhammad Altaf Wani, claimed that “we noticed torture marks on her body. Marks of hanging were also visible on her neck. We immediately police who took the body for postmortem,” Wani said.
“The postmortem report is awaited. However, preliminary investigation suggests that she had not taken any food for four days before death,” he added.
Rashida was brought up two brothers after death of her father, Manzoor Ahmad Wani, around 10 years ago.
“She was aware that how her brothers brought her up and saved money for her marriage. This was reason that she never complained about torture by in-laws,” said Khadimul Haq, a family friend.
“It is only after her murder that we all came to know about brutality she had been facing all these months. She had conveyed all her sufferings to her best friend and younger brother, but with a promise not to share it with others in family. Her in-laws were demanding dowry and asking Rashida to get AC and other goods,” alleged her uncle, Altaf Ahmad Wani.
Meanwhile, police station Nowgam has registered a case vide FIR number 101/2018 for offence of 306 RPC (abetment of suicide). “We have registered a case and taken up investigation,” said SHO Nowgam, Syed Showkat Bukhari.