The brutal killing of a 16-year-old Dalit domestic worker in Chennai has shocked the city and sparked widespread condemnation. Initial reports and police statements indicate that the young girl, employed by an Islamist businessman’s family in Aminjikarai, faced sustained abuse and torture, culminating in her tragic death. However, varying accounts of the incident have emerged in media coverage, with some publications omitting names and providing differing details of the crime.
The victim, a Dalit from Thanjavur, had been brought to Chennai to work as a domestic help for a Muslim businessman, 36-year-old Mohammed Nishad, and his wife, Nazia. The family, along with others alleged to have been complicit, now faces charges including murder and violations under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, as law enforcement authorities work to unravel the details behind this shocking case.
Alleged Motives And Confessions
According to a confession provided by Nazia, the victim was targeted after suspicions arose that her husband had developed a personal interest in the young Dalit girl. In her statement, Nazia admitted that jealousy and fear of her husband’s potential interest led her to begin abusing the girl, with accounts indicating that she subjected her to physical violence, including burning her body with an iron.
This abuse escalated over time, with Nazia allegedly involving her husband’s sister, Seema Begum, friends Lokesh and his wife, Jayashakti, and another maid, Maheshwari, in what has been described as a calculated campaign of abuse and dehumanization of the 16-year-old Dalit domestic help.
On 31 October 2024, during the Deepavali celebrations, the situation reportedly took a horrifying turn when the group accused the girl of stealing, verbally and physically assaulting her in response. Witnesses in the household claimed that the girl collapsed after being kicked by Lokesh, after which she was left unattended in the bathroom, unconscious. Upon realizing that she was unresponsive, the family locked up the residence and fled, without notifying anyone about her death.
A Grim Scene Uncovered
The Dalit girl’s body was discovered on 1 November 2024 when the owner of the apartment complex, Sarfuddin, alerted the police after noticing a foul odor and a locked, unattended apartment. The police broke into the unit to find the girl’s body lying in the bathroom. Initial investigations by the Aminjikarai police confirmed visible signs of torture, including burn marks and signs of strangulation.
Authorities quickly searched for the suspects, who had gone into hiding. They were ultimately apprehended from a friend’s Coimbatore residence, where they sought refuge after the incident.
Times Of India, The Hindu’s Secular Approach
Mainstream media such as The Times of India and The Hindu took a more secularist approach, omitting the names of the accused and focusing on the crime in their headlines.
The couple who abused the domestic help were Mohammed Nishad and his wife, Nasiya but TOI gives an secular impression of Diwali only pic.twitter.com/iNWz8OPsyx
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) November 3, 2024
While the article mentions details of the perpetrators in the paragraphs, it left this detail in the headline that grabs the most attention. This type of narrative setting is prevalent in reportage by leftist mouthpieces like The News Minute and The Wire, which ensure the secularisation of crimes is done to a tee. The Hindu & TOI have also joined the bandwagon of such secular mouthpieces.
Legal Implications Of Murder
In response to the case, the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) condemned the alleged torture and killing of the young Dalit girl. The NFIW’s statement emphasized the need for a thorough investigation and called for strict punishment for those involved. The case is being prosecuted under the POCSO Act, a law that addresses crimes against children, though police have clarified that there was no evidence of sexual assault.
The girl’s mother, who reportedly lacked the financial resources to transport her daughter’s body back to her hometown, has received support from local authorities to conduct a cremation in Chennai.
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