HYDERABAD: Tragedy struck just days after
Eid fervour
in the Khan household in Old City.
Mohammed Jameel Khan
, father of the 10-year-old boy, who was
sodomised and brutally murdered
, had bought school books,
uniform and shoes
for his youngest son.
"He was looking forward to the next session in school. And as a gift, I bought him books for Class 4 in advance along with uniform and shoes. I told my wife to let him go to school after Eid. Now, books and clothes will go to his grave," said Jameel, bursting into tears.
On Thursday, shock and despair was palpable in the otherwise bustling
Barkas area
of Old City when the body of Jameel's son was brought home after autopsy.
When news of the missing boy's murder spread, Barkas plunged into grief. Anger too was simmering. Family members, who rushed to the spot, where the body was tracked after a week, saw their little one rotting in a desolate place amidst clotted blood and a battered skull.
Later, host of relatives, friends and well-wishers reached the boy's residence, where they tried to console the grieving mother, brothers and sisters.
Jameel Khan could barely stand outside the Osmania General Hospital's mortuary. With eyes welling with tears, he told TOI all efforts to trace his son alive went in vain. Earlier, Chandrayangutta police and family members had posted his missing posters across the twin cities.
"We searched him everywhere in the past week. We even circulated his missing pamphlets among residents and gave news to different news channels and in newspapers. Unfortunately, all efforts proved futile. Now, we know he was murdered just close to our home,'' said Khan.
A father of five daughters and four sons, he said the victim was the youngest in his family and was studying in Class 3 at a local school.
He revealed that his neighbour's son took his son to the terrace of the nearby Government Boys High School and killed him after sodomy.
Angry family members and relatives sought immediate justice so that no one could dare to repeat such a horrific act.
"He killed my son and he should not be spared. Severe punishment must be meted out. We hope, no parent goes through this trauma,'' the grief-stricken father said.
Jameel Khan, a father of five daughters and four sons, said the victim was the youngest in his family and was studying in class 3 at a local school. Relatives sought immediate justice.