In a shocking turn of events, a 24-year-old man named Arshad allegedly murdered his mother and four sisters at a hotel in Lucknow, citing harassment by neighbors and land mafia in their hometown, Budaun. The gruesome act has sparked outrage, with Arshad claiming in a chilling video that he committed the killings to protect his sisters from being trafficked.

The victims include Arshad’s mother, Asma, and sisters Alia (9), Alshia (19), Aksa (16), and Rahmeen (18). The accused, arrested at the crime scene, confessed in the video that he choked and slit the wrists of his family members, reportedly with the help of his father.

Allegations of harassment and trafficking

In the video, Arshad alleged that local land mafias had captured their house and planned to sell his sisters. “Our family has been harassed for months. We were forced to sleep on the footpath in the cold while our house was taken over. They planned to frame us in false cases and sell my sisters. I had no choice but to protect their honor,” he claimed.

He named several individuals allegedly involved in the harassment, including Ranu, Aftab, Aleem Khan, Salim, Arif, Ahmad, and Azhar. According to Arshad, these individuals were involved in illegal land deals and trafficking.

Plea for justice and allegations of systemic failure

Arshad appealed to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for justice, claiming that his family had repeatedly sought help but to no avail. He expressed his desire for a temple to be built on their land and their belongings to be donated to an orphanage.

The video also revealed Arshad’s desperation, as he suggested plans to end his life after committing the murders. “We did not get justice in life; at least give us justice in death,” he said, urging strict action against those responsible for their plight.

Police response and investigation

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Central Lucknow, Raveena Tyagi confirmed the murders occurred at Hotel Sharanjit. “The accused, identified as Arshad, allegedly killed five members of his family. The local police promptly apprehended him at the scene,” she said.

Forensic teams have collected evidence from the crime scene, and investigations are underway to verify Arshad’s claims.

The video, whose authenticity remains unverified, has sparked widespread debate about systemic failures and the alleged nexus between local land mafias and authorities.

A community shaken

The incident has left residents of Budaun and Lucknow in shock. Calls for a thorough investigation and justice for the victims have gained momentum. Meanwhile, authorities are examining the veracity of Arshad’s allegations against the named individuals and the extent of harassment the family endured.

The tragic incident raises questions about the societal and systemic factors that might have led to such an extreme act, underscoring the need for a swift and impartial probe.

The political battle between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) escalated on New Year’s Day, with AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal penning a pointed letter to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat. In the letter, Kejriwal questioned the RSS’s stance on alleged “wrongdoings” by the BJP, sparking a fresh war of words between the two parties.

In his letter, Kejriwal accused BJP leaders of engaging in unethical practices, including voter suppression and vote-buying. “BJP leaders are openly distributing money. Does the RSS endorse buying votes? Dalit and Purvanchali voters are being removed from voter lists on a large scale. Does the RSS believe this strengthens democracy?” he wrote.

The AAP leader’s missive comes amid heated campaigning for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. Kejriwal alleged that the BJP is resorting to desperate tactics to secure victory, accusing the party of tampering with voter lists and launching “Operation Lotus” in key constituencies, including his own New Delhi seat.

During a media briefing, Kejriwal criticized the BJP’s strategy, saying, “The BJP has neither vision nor suitable candidates for Delhi. They aim to win by dishonest means. However, the people of Delhi will not allow this.” He urged citizens to remain vigilant and regularly verify their names on the voter list.

Kejriwal further claimed that in his constituency alone, the BJP had applied to remove 5,000 names and add 7,500 new ones. “The total number of votes here is 1,06,000. If such large-scale changes are being made, what is the point of holding an election? This is a mockery of democracy,” he said.

Responding to Kejriwal’s allegations, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva dismissed the claims as baseless. He accused the AAP of manipulating voter lists in previous elections. “The number of voters in Delhi saw a significant increase between the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and the subsequent Assembly polls. Who was responsible for adding these voters? The same pattern is evident now, with fake documents being used to register voters,” Sachdeva stated.

Sachdeva also addressed the AAP leader directly in a letter, urging Kejriwal to abandon “the habits of lying and deceit.” He called for transparency in the electoral process and defended the BJP’s efforts to clean up voter lists, asserting that names of deceased individuals and those who no longer reside in Delhi should not remain on the rolls.

Kejriwal, however, doubled down on his warnings, cautioning government officials against participating in alleged irregularities at the BJP’s behest. “Those who sign off on unlawful activities will face consequences. Governments change, but records and signatures remain,” he said.

This is not the first time Kejriwal has reached out to the RSS chief. In September, he posed a series of questions to Mohan Bhagwat, challenging the BJP’s governance and its alleged misuse of central agencies to target political opponents.

As the electoral race heats up, the confrontation between the AAP and BJP underscores the charged atmosphere ahead of the Delhi polls. Both parties remain locked in a bitter war of words, with allegations and counter-allegations shaping the political narrative in the capital.

The Congress on Tuesday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting Manipur. This comes after Chief Minister N BIren Singh apologised for ethnic violence in the state, which rages on since May 2023. 

Taking to social media platform X, Congress general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh questioned why can’t PM Narendra Modi go there and do the same even though he travels across the country and the world.

The senior Congress leader questioned why can’t the Prime Minister go to Manipur and say the same thing there. Jairam Ramesh added that PM Narendra Modi has deliberately avoided visiting the state since May 4, 2023, even as he jets around the country and the world. He concluded that the people of Manipur simply cannot understand this neglect.

Meanwhile, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh apologized to the people of the northeastern states for the ethnic clashes that have been occurring since May 2023. He also appealed to the people of the state to forgive and forget the past. He further added that the year ends on an optimistic note and hoped that normalcy will return to Manipur in 2025. 

While addressing a press conference in Imphal, CM Biren Singh said that this entire year has been very unfortunate, and that he wants to say sorry to the people of the state for what’s happening till today since last May 3. The Chief Minister asserted that many people lost their loved ones, and many people left their homes. He also remarked that after seeing the last three to four months progress towards peace, he believes that by 2025, normalcy will be restored in the state. 

He further appealed to all communities in the state, that whatever has happened, has happened, and they have to forget and forgive the past mistakes to start a new life towards a peaceful and prosperous Manipur.