A bloody business: All is fair in love and marriage
Family shoots woman for helping arrange niece’s marriage.
FAISALABAD:
A woman was shot and her husband was severely injured for helping arrange the marriage of her niece against her parents wishes.
According to police officials, Chak No 191-RB resident Nusrat Bibi, 27, helped arrange the wedding of her niece Mehmoona with her class mate Mumtaz a year ago. “Mehmoona’s parents had threatened to kill her when they found out that she wanted to marry one of her classmates. Nusrat offered to help arrange the wedding in secret,” Mumtaz’s sister told police officials on Tuesday.
“Mehmoona’s parents didn’t know where she was because the couple kept a low profile and left the district but they knew where to trace Nusrat,” said a neighbour Haleema Bibi. According to the police officials, Mehmoona and Mumtaz left the district the day of their wedding nearly a year ago. “Local residents in the area told us that Nusrat Bibi and her husband Ahsan also shifted their house fearing that their lives may be in danger but Mehmoona’s brothers eventually found her,” SHO Chak Jhumra Mohammad Rana said.
A week ago, Mehmoona and her husband had come to the village to visit Nusrat Bibi and were staying with her. “Somehow word got back to her family that she was here and her brother and cousin showed up at the house with several friends. They were all armed,” neighbour Altaf told police. Nusrat Bibi’s cousin Ali Ahmad and Mehmoona’s brother Imran forced entry into her house on Monday night and shot her and her husband. Hearing the noise, Mumtaz and Mehmoona rushed to the spot and tried to save the Nusrat but the assailants also fired on them and injured them. “The accused wanted to kill the couple as well but they managed to escape,” Altaf said.
Police officials have sent Nusrat Bibi’s body for an autopsy. “She was five months pregnant and she was shot at point blank range,” said DHQ Hospital Dr Naveed Khan. Police officials said that Nusrat Bibi’s husband Ahsan also suffered severe injuries and has been shifted to the ICU with bullet wounds to his chest and arm. SHO Chak Jhumra told reporters that a case had been registered under Sections 302, 34, 452, 342 against five accused. “A police team is searching for the accused, who managed to flee the scene right after the shooting,” the SHO said.
“We are also searching for Mehmoona and her husband so that they can be provided police protection,” he added.The SHO said that a team had been constituted for the arrest of the accused and said that the men would be arrested within next 48 hours.
*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the victims
Published in The Express Tribune, November 16th, 2011.
A woman was shot and her husband was severely injured for helping arrange the marriage of her niece against her parents wishes.
According to police officials, Chak No 191-RB resident Nusrat Bibi, 27, helped arrange the wedding of her niece Mehmoona with her class mate Mumtaz a year ago. “Mehmoona’s parents had threatened to kill her when they found out that she wanted to marry one of her classmates. Nusrat offered to help arrange the wedding in secret,” Mumtaz’s sister told police officials on Tuesday.
“Mehmoona’s parents didn’t know where she was because the couple kept a low profile and left the district but they knew where to trace Nusrat,” said a neighbour Haleema Bibi. According to the police officials, Mehmoona and Mumtaz left the district the day of their wedding nearly a year ago. “Local residents in the area told us that Nusrat Bibi and her husband Ahsan also shifted their house fearing that their lives may be in danger but Mehmoona’s brothers eventually found her,” SHO Chak Jhumra Mohammad Rana said.
A week ago, Mehmoona and her husband had come to the village to visit Nusrat Bibi and were staying with her. “Somehow word got back to her family that she was here and her brother and cousin showed up at the house with several friends. They were all armed,” neighbour Altaf told police. Nusrat Bibi’s cousin Ali Ahmad and Mehmoona’s brother Imran forced entry into her house on Monday night and shot her and her husband. Hearing the noise, Mumtaz and Mehmoona rushed to the spot and tried to save the Nusrat but the assailants also fired on them and injured them. “The accused wanted to kill the couple as well but they managed to escape,” Altaf said.
Police officials have sent Nusrat Bibi’s body for an autopsy. “She was five months pregnant and she was shot at point blank range,” said DHQ Hospital Dr Naveed Khan. Police officials said that Nusrat Bibi’s husband Ahsan also suffered severe injuries and has been shifted to the ICU with bullet wounds to his chest and arm. SHO Chak Jhumra told reporters that a case had been registered under Sections 302, 34, 452, 342 against five accused. “A police team is searching for the accused, who managed to flee the scene right after the shooting,” the SHO said.
“We are also searching for Mehmoona and her husband so that they can be provided police protection,” he added.The SHO said that a team had been constituted for the arrest of the accused and said that the men would be arrested within next 48 hours.
*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the victims
Published in The Express Tribune, November 16th, 2011.