Prank Claims Life of an Engineering Student in Kashmir

SRINAGAR: Police claimed to have solved mysterious murder case of an engineering student in Srinagar – summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir – by arresting a man who was in telephonic contact with the victim posing as a woman and three personnel of government railway police.

Deputy Inspector General of Police – Ghulam Hassan Bhat – addresses a news conference in Srinagar 

Deputy Inspector General of Police – Ghulam Hassan Bhat – addressed a news conference in Srinagar on Tuesday evening where he disclosed the story behind the murder mystery. Owais Bashir Malik, son of Bashir Ahmad Malik, resident of Peerbagh Srinagar was found dead and his body mutilated two days after he went missing from his residence on January 12. His body was recovered near railway bridge Humhama.

During investigation, police said, it came to fore that for last one year Owais was in contact with a person namely Ishaan Majeed, son of Abdul Majeed Peerzada, resident of Bandipora, who presently stayed at Barzulla Srinagar. “Ishaan would pose and act like a girl by the name Umaira resident of Wanbal Nowgam and both would talk for hours together mostly during the night,” police said.

Ishaan (Umaira) would also talk at times with family members including the sisters of Owais and also with his cousin Tanveer, police said. Owais would insist Ishaan (Umaira) for meeting him which Ishaan used to avoid.

However, police said, Ishaan agreed to meet Owais near railway track at Peerbagh Srinagar on January 12. “Ishaan (Umaira) divulged before the deceased that it was he who was posing as a girl. This infuriated Owais and both had a scuffle,” police said.

“Ishaan (Umaira) got better of the Owais and brought him down on the ground over the Railway Track and also kicked him repeatedly. This injured Owais badly and he roled down into the gorge,” police said. “Thinking that Owais was dead, Ishaan (Umaira) left for his home and subsequently to his aunt’s house at Bandipora. The two sims through which he used to talk with Owais were broken by him and thrown into a Nalla and thus tried to destroy the evidence.”

According to police, the investigating team had a “tough time” since the place where the dead body was recovered near the railway bridge was at a distance from the place where both had a scuffle.

During investigation, it was found that in the evening of January 12, the day when Owais was murdered, one constable of government railway police found some bloodstains on soil and noticed a human body in the shallow waters down the track. “He did not inform the Police and instead planned to dispose-off the body to a place away from track with his other two colleagues,” police said.

The three employees namely Manzoor Ahmad resident of Chadoora, Mohammad Ayoub resident of Humhama and Noor Mohammad resident of Khansahib picked the dead body and placed it away from the track near the railway bridge at Peerbagh.

The main accused – Ishaan Majeed – has been arrested in this case along with three employees of government railway police. Police said that further investigation is in progress.