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The Andhra Pradesh police have arrested rifle shooting coach Sheikh Sadiq Khan on charges of murder, abetment of suicide and insulting religious beliefs in connection with the deaths of a woman, Soujanya, her husband and her parents.
On August 16, Soujanya, her mother Meena and her father K Nooka Raju, an Assistant Engineer with the Panchayat Raj Department in Pithapuram, died by suicide in Rajahmundry. Soujanya’s 10-year-old son, Reyansh, who survived the suicide attempt, told the police that Sadiq, his rifle shooting coach, had allegedly been threatening and extorting his family.
Later, Soujanya’s father-in-law found a suicide note purportedly written by her. In the note, she alleged that Sadiq had killed her husband, Jagadeeshwara Reddy, in July, and had subsequently threatened and tortured her, exercised control over her family’s property, and forced her to read books related to Islam and convert to Islam.
Two separate cases were registered against Sadiq on August 17. The first was registered at the Rajahmundry II Town police station for allegedly abetting the suicides of Soujanya and her parents. The second, based on the contents of the purported suicide note, was registered at the Sarpavaram police station. It includes charges of murdering Soujanya’s husband, extortion, wrongful confinement, criminal intimidation, abetment of suicide, and deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings by insulting a religion or religious beliefs.
Kakinada Superintendent of Police G Bindu Madhav said Sadiq was arrested in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, on August 22 and is now in judicial custody.
According to the first FIR, registered on the basis of a complaint by a Village Revenue Officer (VRO), 10-year-old Reyansh told the police that Sadiq had visited their house one night last year, assaulted his father and threatened to kill him with a kitchen knife. Since his father’s death on July 2, Sadiq allegedly visited their house daily and often physically assaulted Soujanya, Reyansh told the police.
He also alleged that Sadiq demanded gold and money from his grandparents and mother, threatening to kill them if they did not comply.
In a complaint filed by Soujanya’s father-in-law, Bhaskara Reddy, he said a letter was found in Soujanya’s vehicle in which she alleged that Sadiq had poisoned her husband, Jagadeeshwara Reddy. She further alleged that he had subsequently “blackmailed, threatened and tortured her”, exercised control over her property, mobile phone, SBI locker and her father’s property documents, and threatened her family with dire consequences.
The purported letter also alleged that Sadiq forced Soujanya to read Islamic books and convert to Islam.
SP Bindu Madhav said all the allegations, including those related to forced religious conversion, are under investigation.
Vijayasai Reddy, a former MP and former close aide of YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy who has since left the party following a rift, shared the contents of the purported suicide note written by Soujanya and called for action in the case.
According to the note, Sadiq allegedly learned that Soujanya was in an unhappy marriage, grew close to her and offered her support before allegedly blackmailing her with private information. The note also stated that Soujanya approached her husband and agreed to a divorce, as he had sought, in exchange for protection from Sadiq. However, she alleged that Sadiq subsequently intimidated both of them.
The note further alleged that Sadiq had convinced Soujanya that he was on good terms with the police and threatened to fabricate evidence against her if she approached them.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Executive Committee member and MLC Somu Veerraju has called for a detailed probe into the incident by central agencies.
