Alleging that there is “no justice for minorities” in the 2007 case of their daughter’s rape and murder, the family of Ayesha Meera, sought a judicial inquiry led by a sitting judge of the High Court. Ayesha’s mother, Shamshad Begum, made the statement on Friday, February 27, as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) handed over Ayesha’s remains nearly seven years after it was exhumed.
The CBI exhumed Ayesha’s remains in 2019 for a re-post-mortem, more than 11 years after her death. Last week, nearly two decades after she died, the CBI court in Vijayawada accepted the CBI’s report closing the probe, saying there was no evidence to proceed investigation against any individual.
Ayesha’s mother, Shamshad Begum, broke down while speaking to the media and said, “Seven years after exhuming, they are handing over our daughter’s body parts to us. What kind of justice is this?”
She alleged that there were serious irregularities in the investigation, including her daughter’s age in the FIR being recorded as 19 when she was 17 at the time of her death, and the alleged compromise of the crime scene. “By handing over her remains now, the Indian state is burying truth and justice,” she said.
Questioning the handling of the case, she said justice appeared selective. Referring to other high-profile cases, she asked why there had been no closure in her daughter’s case and whether it was because Ayesha belonged to a minority community. “Are minorities that unimportant?” she asked, adding that the family had pinned its hopes on the CBI to identify and punish the real perpetrators.
Ayesha Meera, then 17, was found raped and murdered on December 27, 2007, in the bathroom of Sri Durga Ladies Hostel at Ibrahimpatnam near Vijayawada. In 2008, police arrested Pidathala Satyam Babu and a Mahila Court in Vijayawada sentenced him to life imprisonment in 2010. However, in 2017, the High Court acquitted him citing lack of evidence and ordered action against the investigating officials.
Following petitions by her parents, the case was handed over to the CBI in 2018. The High Court had also taken serious note of the reported destruction of trial court records and directed a probe into the matter. During the CBI investigation, a postmortem examination was conducted twice, and the remains were deposited with the court after a forensic opinion from Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad.
The CBI handed over Ayesha’s remains to her parents at the CBI court in Vijayawada. The court instructed that the last rites be conducted as per religious customs in Tenali on February 27, and directed the state government to provide necessary facilities and security. It also ordered that the entire process be video recorded in the presence of government officials.
With the court now permitting the last rites, the family said they would continue their legal fight. They said they would seek a meeting with Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and press for a judicial inquiry monitored by a sitting High Court judge to ensure accountability and bring the real culprits to justice.