News Brief
Swarajya Staff
Apr 20, 2023, 11:00 AM | Updated 11:00 AM IST
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Uttar Pradesh Police yesterday (19 April) arrested the man behind a series of blade attacks on office-going women in the Bareilly district. Police found during investigation that the accused, Mohammed Sajjad, was committing the crimes under influence of a maulana at a local dargah.
Sajjad had approached the maulana for a solution to his marital problem. He wanted to get rid of his second wife, as per police.
The maulana advised Sajjad that if he attacked office-going women, his second wife would leave him and the case against him would be withdrawn through divine support.
Over the past two weeks, four women had become victims of blade attacks by Sajjad. The attacks were carried out only on Fridays, which had made the police suspicious of occult practice.
Bareilly Superintendent of Police Rahul Bhati told the media that three of these cases were registered in the Qila area and the fourth in the Premnagar area.
Sajjad is 42 and a resident of Bans Mandi area. He has three children — two sons and a daughter — from two wives named Sabina and Ravina. He wanted to marry his girlfriend, Fiza, who is 25.
As per reports, after Sajjad began living with Fiza, Ravina filed a report of sexual assault on him at Baradari Police Station. Sajjad was reeling under this police case and financial crunch. It was in this regard that he visited the dargah and came in contact with the maulana.
The maulana told Sajjad to carry out the attacks specifically on office-going women and on Fridays, and that he must make nine women bleed from such attacks.
Police have arrested Sajjad, but the maulana, who has also been booked, continues to be absconding.