The family of 22-year-old Malayali medical student Savariya Basanth, who was allegedly murdered by her classmate in Uzbekistan, has claimed that she was brutally assaulted before her death and had been subjected to repeated pressure to convert her religion, as reported in The New Indian Express.
Savariya, a native of Pilappuzha in Haripad, Alappuzha district, was allegedly killed by her classmate, 22-year-old Sadarul Anam, a native of Pulamanthole in Kerala’s Malappuram district. The accused has been arrested by Uzbek authorities and remains in police custody.
According to Savariya’s family, her body bore multiple injuries from head to toe, indicating that she had been subjected to severe physical assault before her death. They contended that the fatal head injury allegedly inflicted using a laptop was not the sole cause of death, alleging that she had sustained extensive injuries across her body.
The allegations gained further significance after Savariya’s maternal uncle, Janeesh, who travelled to Uzbekistan to bring her body back to Kerala, claimed that fellow students had informed the family that Sadarul had been pressuring her to convert her religion. According to him, Savariya had repeatedly refused these attempts. He further alleged that the attack was not the result of a sudden provocation but appeared to have involved prolonged physical torture, prompting the family to seek a second postmortem in Kerala to ascertain the exact cause and circumstances of her death.
Savariya had enrolled at Bukhara State Medical University in December last year, where Sadarul was her classmate. According to her family, both male and female students resided in the same hostel, which accommodated several students from Kerala.
Relatives said Savariya had successfully completed her first semester with good academic performance and remained in regular contact with her mother, Mini. When repeated attempts to reach her by phone on Friday went unanswered, the family contacted the university and subsequently learnt of the attack.
Savariya had completed her higher secondary education at VV Higher Secondary School, Naduvattam, in Pallippad. Family members, neighbours and teachers described her as an academically bright student who actively participated in National Service Scheme activities as well as arts and cultural programmes. She is survived by her parents, Basanth and Mini, and her younger brother, Savanth, a Class IX student at Holy Angels School, Pallippad.
After her body was flown back to Kerala, a second postmortem was conducted at Alappuzha Medical College. Her funeral was later held at her residence in Pallippad.
Following his return from Kuwait, where he is employed, Savariya’s father, Basanth, submitted a complaint to the Alappuzha District Police Chief based on documents received from Uzbek authorities, seeking a detailed investigation into the circumstances surrounding his daughter’s death.
Acting on the complaint, Haripad Police registered a case against Sadarul Anam. Police officials stated that an investigation had been initiated and that they were awaiting the second postmortem report.
The police further stated that the accused continues to remain in police custody in Uzbekistan and that the necessary legal procedures would be initiated to secure his return to India once the required formalities are completed.
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