On March 19, 2024, in Badaun district of Uttar Pradesh, two minor brothers named Ayush and Ahaan were brutally murdered by stabbing them with knives. The third brother, 10-year-old Yuvraj, was injured in the same attack. Two brothers named Sajid and Javed, who ran a salon in the neighborhood of the house of the deceased, were accused of murder. The main accused Sajid was killed by the police in an encounter, while his brother Javed is arrested. OpIndia spoke to Vinod Kumar Singh, father of the deceased children, to understand the struggle of the family.
Extortion became the reason for murder
Vinod Singh expressed satisfaction over the police investigation and action. According to the police charge sheet, Sajid had planned to sacrifice the children due to exorcism and superstition. Both Sajid and Javed have been accused. Vinod told that Sajid was instigated to get the happiness of children by sacrificing children. However, the police did not arrest the Maulvi despite his name being in the news.
Vinod admitted that many times he had helped Sajid and his brother financially during times of crisis. Even on the day of the incident, Sajid had come to his house to ask for Rs 5,000. Then Vinod agreed with his wife to give money to Sajid. Vinod says that he had never imagined even in his dreams that the person whom he was helping would ruin his family.
Had brought a knife hidden in his jacket
Recalling the day of the incident, Vinod Singh says that Sajid had come wearing a jacket. His behavior appeared normal due to which no one suspected him. Sajid’s brother Javed also came along. He also had a knife. Ayush had returned from school at that time. He was sitting at the cosmetic shop opened by Vinod’s wife. He took Ayush to the terrace on the pretext of taking a walk. Javed also went to the terrace with him.
Sajid and Javed took Ayush to the terrace and attacked him with knives. Meanwhile, Yuvraj was sent out on the pretext of buying gutkha. Later Ahaan also went to the terrace and in just 10 minutes both the brothers were murdered.
When Sajid and Javed were coming down after the murder of the two brothers, the middle son Yuvraj alias Piyush arrived with gutkha. Sajid also attacked him with a knife, but Yuvraj somehow ran away screaming. The family members came to know about the incident after hearing his screams. By then Sajid and Javed had fled on the bike. At the time of the murder, the children’s mother was downstairs counting money to lend to Sajid.
Baseless allegations against my wife
Vinod Singh says that after the murder of his sons, many people tried to slander his wife verbally. Rumors of relationship between Sajid and his wife were spread in hushed tones. Vinod termed these claims as completely baseless and said, “If my wife was guilty, Sajid would have killed me instead of my children.” He appealed to the people through OpIndia not to believe such false things.
Testimonies are going on in the court
Vinod told that the hearing of the case is going on. The prosecution has so far produced four witnesses, including Vinod Singh, his wife, his mother and injured son Yuvraj. Three testimonies have taken place, and Yuvraj will record his statement on the next date. The testimony of other witnesses including policemen and government staff is still pending.
Apart from the relatives of the deceased, other witnesses include policemen and other government staff etc. Vinod further told us that after the prosecution’s evidence is over, the witnesses from the accused (Sajid and Javed) side can be produced.
Conspiracy to prolong the case
A Hindu lawyer is appearing on behalf of the accused party. Vinod is sad that after the murder of the children, the lawyers had resolved not to fight the case of such a hangman, but now they are helping in prolonging the case.
Vinod also told that the same lawyer of Javed uses all legal tricks to prolong the case. Sometimes he files an application asking for a longer date and sometimes he requests several days to present any paper on his behalf. Now Vinod Singh is planning to go to Allahabad High Court demanding immediate quashing of the entire case. Here they will demand an order to the lower court to pronounce the verdict within a fixed time limit.
Vinod further told us that the Hindu lawyer who is fighting Javed’s case is quite senior. Many Muslim lawyers also work under him as juniors. These junior lawyers are somehow connected with Sajid’s in-laws. Vinod has expressed apprehension that the delay in hearing the case has been orchestrated by the same junior lawyers. Talking about the effective action taken by the police at the time of the murder, Vinod openly praised the then SHO Gaurav Vishnoi. He said that despite being transferred, he is still connected with his family like a family member.
The murderer and his family have no remorse
Vinod told that Javed comes to appear in the court, but there is never any feeling of remorse in his expression. His mother is often seen in court, but she never tries to express her condolences. Vinod believes that the entire family of the murderer is not even the slightest bit sad or ashamed of what happened to their children.
Forget about meeting now, no one even calls
Becoming emotional, Vinod Singh said that he had received support from the society after the incident, but now the same people have distanced themselves from him. He said, “No one has called or come to meet me for the last 6 months. This is not just my tragedy, but the tragedy of the entire Hindu society.”
When Ayush and Ahaan were murdered, financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh was received under the Prime Minister’s Scheme in the name of government help. After this, all the promises made by the administration and leaders remained unfulfilled. Expressing grief, Vinod Singh said, “We had expected that understanding our pain, some concrete steps would be taken, but nothing like this happened.”
My own house runs like a bite
Vinod Singh said that his family is trying to be normal, but the memories of the children are present in every corner of the house. Their only surviving son Yuvraj, currently studying in class 5, has started school. The entire family is mentally badly affected by seeing the memories of the children in the house. The entire family runs away from their house.
Explaining his helplessness, Vinod said, “We started living in this house 3 years ago. Earlier we lived in another part of Badaun, but that house has been sold. If that house was left, we would have shifted there.” After the incident, the health of the children’s grandmother and mother has also started deteriorating.
Parlor closed, salon also locked
Before the incident, Vinod’s wife used to help the family by running a parlor at home. The parlor has been closed after the murder of the children. Now the responsibility of the family rests solely on the shoulders of Vinod, who works as a water tank builder. At the same time, the salon of Sajid and Javed was permanently closed after the incident. Now there is no Muslim shop in the locality. Now a Hindu owner has opened a new salon in place of Sajid and Javed’s shop.
Let us tell you that the next day after the murder of both the children, the police killed the main accused Sajid in an encounter. During the arrest, Sajid had fired at the police, in response to which the police acted in self-defense. After this, on March 21, 2021, the police arrested the absconding co-accused Javed from Bareilly. The trial of this case is going on in the district court of Badaun. Vinod Singh said, “We are waiting for justice, but the lax attitude of the system has increased our suffering.”
