Srinagar- The gruesome murder of a nine-year-old girl in a remote village of Kupwara has again put spotlight on the monster of drug abuse, ravaging families and homes across this Valley.
29-year-old Mohammad Iqbal Khatana, who mercilessly slaughtered his daughter after a tiff with his wife on cold March evening, was a known drug addict, and had sold most of his property to stay high on weed and alcohol, the villagers told Kashmir Observer Thursday.
A father of four, including the girl he murdered on the night of March 29, Khatana was a driver by profession. He had developed a strained relationship with his wife and would usually have heated arguments with her over pity issues.
“Entire village is shell shocked. We never thought Khatana would kill his own daughter in cold-blood,” says Haji Farooq, a resident of Khurhama village.
Initially, Khatana tried to portray himself innocent and filed a complaint in the police station, Khurhama that his daughter is missing. However on April 3, the police in a shocking revelation said that Khatana had killed her own daughter in a fit of rage.
“We were offering Taraweeh prayer when we heard the noise of Khatana’s family that their daughter is missing—little did we know the father will turn out to be her killer,” Farooq added.
According to locals, the family is so poor that sometimes they find it difficult to make both the ends meet. Khatana’s father, Mohammad Hussain works as labourer at the house of Mushtaq Chaya’s brother, a well-known hotelier of Kashmir, in Srinagar.
Abdul Rashid, cousin of the accused, told Kashmir Observer that Khatana was a simple guy but got involved in smoking cannabis and taking alcohol frequently.
“He was earlier working at a car workshop but eventually managed to convince a cab owner to keep him as driver,” Rashid said. He got married 10 years ago with a woman from the Dardpora area of Lolab.
“His father was working hard in Srinagar and helped his family financially but he turned out to be a monster,” Rashid said.
He said that the accused has a history of fighting not only with his wife but his own siblings as well. Khatana has sold his entire property and had only two storied kacha houses.
“He was the eldest one among three brothers. His elderly father is still working as a domestic help in Srinagar and would support Khatana’s family financially,” Rashid said, adding that “I think he killed his daughter out of frustration,”
Rashid further added Khatana’s father and his brother might take care of his family now.
Rashid was a school drop-out and didn’t study further. “They are too poor. If you visit his home you will see their condition,” said Farooq.
The villagers are confident that the police will leave no stone unturned to punish the accused for the crime that even “Allah will not forgive” him.
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