Stephan Kayyar
Daijiworld Media Network - Kasargod
Kasargod, Jul 14: The Kasargod district session court on Tuesday July 14 convicted three persons in the sensational murder case of Safiya (14), which took place in 2006 in Goa. Two other accused have been acquitted.
The prime accused K C Hamza (52), a resident of Muliyar Mastikunda, his wife Maimoona (48) who is the third accused, and fourth accused M Abdulla (48), a resident of Arikkady, Kumble, were found guilty of murdering Safiya.
The quantum of punishment will be pronounced on Wednesday July 15.
Safiya
Hamza (prime accused - file photo)
Maimoona (file photo)
Abdulla (file photo)
Safiya's parents
The second accused in the case, Moidu Haji (59) from Ayyangeri, Madikeri, who was also the middleman, and Adoor police ASI Gopalkrishna (58), the fifth accused in the case, have been acquitted.
Hamza has been proven guilty of murder, kidnapping, house arrest, destruction of evidence and other charges, while Abdulla has been found guilty of kidnapping, destruction of evidence, house arrest, child harassment and other charges.
The murder had taken place on December 15, 2006 in Goa. Safiya, daughter of Moidu and Ayesha of Ayyangeri, Madikeri, had been hired as a housemaid by Hamza, who was a civil contractor by profession in Goa. Safiya was also taken to Goa.
In December 2006, Safiya mysteriously went missing and her disappearance became known her father paid a visit to Hamza's house in Muliyar. On December 16, a complaint was filed in Adoor police station in this regard.
However, the police closed the case in a hurry. An action committee was formed to demand justice which kept up protests for a over year. Buckling under pressure, the police finally formed an investigation team, but the team could not unravel the case or find Safiya. Thereafter, the crime branch took up the case and it was only in July 2008 that the heinous murder came to light.
Safiya, who was working in Hamza's flat in Goa as a housemaid, was chopped into three pieces while still alive, and the parts were put into a plastic bag and buried near an under-construction dam where Hamza was the contractor. The police recovered Safiya's skeletal remains on July 8, 2008. Five persons were charged with murder, destruction of evidence and so on. Hamza had claimed that Safiya had died of burns after boiling gruel fell on her while cooking.
In between, it was also alleged that hefty bribes had been paid to the police to close the case, particularly to Adoor ASI Gopalkrishna. He had also been suspended following the charges. Gopalkrishna had then approched the court, which set up an enquiry committee to probe the charges. As the charges could not be substantiated, his suspension was revoked. The district sessions court has now acquitted him.
Safiya's father Moidu who was present in the court at the time of the pronouncement of judgement told reporters that he was confident that the guilty would be punished severely. He thanked the police investigating team and everyone else who helped in bringing the truth in the open.
Case recall: