Engineer’s wife hired Ikhwanis as contract killers

Investigation reveals how young wife planned to eliminate old husband

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Feb 19: As exclusively reported in Early Times in its February 17^th issue, counter-insurgent Ikhwanis, linked to different military formation in Baramulla district, have surfaced as contract killers engaged by a young woman to eliminate her engineer husband double her age. This mother of four children, now in Police custody, happens to be a close relative of once Hizbul Mujahideen’s “Chief Commander of Operations” Abdul Majeed Dar who was killed on March 23, 2003, by suspected militants at his Sopore residence subsequent to his ceasefire initiative with the security forces and high profile dialogue process with Government of India in July 2000.

SSP Baramulla, Dr Haseeb Mughal, today disclosed to media that the February 15^th shootout at Durhama, Kreeri, was the result of a plot hatched up by Haseena Badroo, younger sister of Dr Shameema Badroo (wife of Hizbul Mujahideen’s founder-member and top commander Abdul Majeed Dar), with a number of counter-insurgent Ikhwanis. He said that Police had solved the mystery of the firing, in which two girls sustained injuries, within record time of 72 hours. He said that the weapon of assault had been seized and all but one characters of the failed murder plot arrested.

Late in the evening on February 15^th, unidentified gunmen had fired two pistol shots from a window pane when Haseena’s husband, Ghulam Mohiuddin Akhoon, an assistant engineer in R&B Division Kupwara, was present at his Durhama house alongwith his sister and some other relatives. Akhoon’s 19-year-old sister, Shaista, and 8-year-old niece, Monisa D/o Manzoor Ahmed Khan of Achhabal Sopore, had sustained minor injuries in the shootout. Kreeri Police Station registered a matter of attempted murder and launched investigation.

During investigation it surfaced that in 1995, 20-year-old Haseena had been married to Akhoon, who was double her age. She was the youngest among eight sisters. Three of them happened to be doctors as one settled in Saudi Arabia with her husband and another opted to become Majeed Dar’s second wife. Because of being unemployed and married to a middle aged conservative husband, Haseena developed inferiority complex. Parallel to becoming mother of four children, including twin daughters, over the years, she made several secretive attempts to stabilize economically.

In 2001, she set up a boutique, named Zircon Design Den, at Iqbal Market Sopore. As her engineer husband Akhoon learned about it, he forced Haseena to shut it for good. Ambitious Haseena set up another boutique in hometown Sopore in February 2010. Under her husband’s pressure, she again sold off the business unit. This time bankrupt, Haseena secretly disposed off two Kanals of her land at Khanday Colony, Nowgam Bypass, Srinagar, to one Mohammad Ashraf Lone of Baramulla through broker Ghulam Ahmed Hajam of Delina, Baramulla, who paid her Rs 5 Lakh as advance. When Akhoon learned about it, she tried to buy some time from the buyers. Broker Hajam objected to delay in giving possession of the land and demanded either the money back in double or immediate transfer of the title.

Failing to meet the broker’s demands, Haseena conspired with him to eliminate her husband following which, she assured, that the land would be transferred to the buyer. Hajam introduced her to released militants and Ikhwanis who could help her to execute the task. Hajam and Haseena unsuccessfully sought help from several camps of security forces. Hajam, finally introduced Haseena to Nazir Ahmed Beigh @Jana of  Fatehpora, Baramulla. Once the deal settled, Jana received Supari of Rs 50,000 and the target’s photograph from Haseena at her house in Model Town, Sopore.

On taking the money, Nazir conspired with four of his associates, namely Mohmad Shafi Rather of Fatehpora, Showkat Ahmed Khan of Khanpora Baramulla, Bashir Ahmed of Fatehpora and Mohmad Iqbal Dar of Kralhar, Baramulla.

On 27^th of January 2011, this group in connivance with the lady made an unsuccessful attempt on Akhoon’s life at Model Town, Sopore. Later when Haseena demanded her money back, the aforesaid persons asked for some more time. After the attempt the group remained constantly in touch with the lady and the broker telephonically and planned for another attack.

February 15^th, at 8.30 p.m, Shafi, Showkat, Bashir, Nazir @Jana and Iqbal went to Durhama to execute the task. They parked their Sumo at Wagoora bus-stand and Nazir, Bashir and Showkat went to the house where Akhoon had been living since last three weeks. Showkat fired two shots from his pistol from the window. Even as Akhoon escaped unhurt, two young girls sustained minor injuries.

Haseena and her hired gunmen have been arrested and the pistol used in the crime seized. SSP said that during interrogation, they revealed details of the whole story which were duly corroborated with evidences. He said that Showkat alone was absconding but efforts were underway to arrest him too. He claimed that Showkat was a released militant an overground worker of militant outfit, Lashkar-e-Toiba. He revealed that call detail record of the key plotter, Haseena, and her hired gunmen helped Police investigate and solve the mystery within three days of occurrence despite some disturbance caused by stone pelters at Baramulla as well as Kreeri.

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