Murdered AMU woman leader was threatened by restaurant owner's son
Asma Javed, who was Aligarh Muslim University Students' Union leader, had told the police that Mallik Mohammad Akram's men had attacked her on the AMU campus with criminal intention.
Asma Javed (28), the former Aligarh Muslim University Students' Union leader, who was found killed on Wednesday night had raised an apprehension two-and-a-half-months ago that the son of a restaurant owner in the city was planning to eliminate her.
She had told the police that Mallik Mohammad Akram's men had attacked her on the AMU campus with criminal intention. However, the police didn't take the complaint seriously because despite registering a case of sexual exploitation against Akram in January 2015, she had done a U-turn in front of a magistrate. She had then said that she didn't want to pursue the case because Akram had agreed to marry her.
But, she again registered a complaint with the police after a few days and said that she was forced to withdraw the case against him under pressure.
Meanwhile, her elder brother Salman Javed told the police on Thursday that Akram had taken Rs 1 lakh from his sister and was refusing to return the money.
Salman said: "We are sure that he killed her because he was after her life for the past many months. He had also refused to return her money. Incidentally while cash sent by her father to register for a basic teacher's course, her tablet and laptop are missing from her flat, other things have not been touched. This indicates that the killers knew that the police could catch them through these equipment."
Asma created history in AMU in 2010 by contesting for the post of president of the students' union. No woman student had earlier contested a poll in the university. Despite stiff opposition, she was again in the fray in 2011. Although she lost on both occasions, AMU authorities had declared that she was a harbinger of change on the campus.
Asma had got married to one Adil Ansari in 2007. However, he deserted her and left for America.
A team of four doctors conducted her postmortem examination and reported that she was strangulated to death five days ago. They have not ruled out rape before murder and prepared some slides for further investigation.
Asma is suspected to have died a couple of days ago. Police broke into the flat after neighbours complained of foul smell. Her family could not contact her since Saturday as her mobile was switched off.
Asma who had done her Ph.D. on Hindi writer Premchand and the portrayal of the dilemma of middle class in his novels, had hit the headlines for the first time in 2005 when she had alleged a university professor of undue aggression and sat on dharna. AMU had never witnessed such a protest by a woman.
Aligarh Senior Superintendent of Police J. Ravindra Gaur said: "Asma's family members have told the police that she was leading a comfortable life. Her family members always supported her. Meanwhile, Akram met the police on Wednesday and presented his version. The investigation is on and we hope to catch the killer soon."
AMU professor died under similiar circumstances
Dr Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras, chairman of the department of modern Indian languages at the Aligarh Muslim University, was found dead under similar circumstances in April 2010.
Dr Siras was suspended from the university by vice-chancellor Dr P.K. Abdul Aziz in February 2010 after a controversy over his homosexual affairs for which he was also removed from his official residence.
Responding to his appeal, the high court had ordered the university authorities to reinstate him. However, Dr Siras was found dead in his rented accommodation near the Morris Road. The police had concluded that he had committed suicide.