Two burqa-clad women were taken into custody by Hyderabad police after they were caught vandalising a statue of St Mary at the Roch Memorial Church and a Durga idol at a Navaratri pandal set up in Hyderabad’s Khairatabad. The incident angered a section of the society and they demanded that the women be booked under relevant sections.
Speaking to TNM, M Rajesh Chandra, DCP, Central zone confirmed that the two Muslim women were immediately taken into custody after they received a call regarding the incident. “A case was booked after the women were detained under sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups), 295 (defiling place of worship), 295(A) (deliberate and malicious act to outrage religious feelings), 451 (house trespass) and 504 (intentional insult and provocation) of the Indian Penal Code. The women were giving irrelevant answers when they were questioned. The two women are sisters and the family has been identified. The women will be referred to a government hospital and based on the report of the magistrate, we will take a decision regarding the case,” he said.
According to the police, the family lived in Jeddah and returned to Hyderabad in 2018. The father of the girls usually locked the house whenever he went outside. He however, fell ill a couple of days ago and was bed-ridden. This enabled the girls to leave their home and stir trouble in the neighbourhood, the police said.
Addressing the media, Jaffar Hussain Meraj, AIMIM Nampally MLA called for a detailed inquiry into the incident. He said, “The women were caught and handed over to the police. I request police to carry out a detailed inquiry into this attempt to create a communal clash. AIMIM Chief Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi has instructed me to inspect the location and coordinate with the police in this incident. I am in touch with police officials and I am sure the police will investigate and bring out the truth.”
The family of the two women were traced using CCTV footage as they were unable to recollect their names. Within four hours, the police identified the house and got in touch with the family. Speaking to the media, Aseemuddin, their brother said, “My mother and my sisters have been diagnosed with schizophrenia and my brother too has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. I had no idea that they got out of the house and did something like this. They have never done something like this. I am very sorry for all that has happened. They are under treatment at a private hospital in Banjara Hills.” He said that the two sisters had been under treatment for several years.
READ:
Heavy rains likely in Hyderabad over next few days, orange warning issued
Poll strategist Sunil Kanugolu reduces ties with TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu