Fatricide for Property

Story reported at regionaltimes.com October 28, 2008 Woman accuses brothers-in-law of killing her husband to occupy his property By Younis Chandio HYDERABAD: A woman namely Ms. Zaiban, widow of Manzoor Jat, resident of village Chak No.56 near Sanghar staged a protest demonstration outside the Hyderabad press club, alleging her two brothers-in-law of killing her husband to grab property and throwing her out of home after snatching her two children. She told newsmen that she was married to Manzoor son of Nazir by caste Jat Punjabi and was living peacefully with her husband and 3 children. She said two brothers of her husband namely Naseer and Baseer wanted to grab the property of her husband that included also 32 acres agriculture land. She alleged that on 5th October 2008 her husband’s elder brother killed her husband over a quarrel. She told that accused Naseer was arrested by police. The next day her husband’s another brother from Multan arrived at her home Sanghar and allegedly after torturing her involved her in her husband’s murder. She said he took away her two children 8-year son Zulfiqar Ali and 3 and half years daughter Zunera and threw her out of her home.She complained that her brother in law has grabbed her and her husband’s all property which includes 32 acres agriculture land, two shops, 4 residential houses in Sanghar town, one plot at Hyderabad bus stand, cash in bank account, one motor cycle, 15 goats, 3 buffaloes, their home with furniture and fixtures. She further alleged that Baseer also got prepared a false divorce paper (Talaq Nama) in her name. Woman [notice, now she doesn't even have a name] said she has no place to live. She also expressed fear of life. She demanded action against her husband’s both brothers and recovery of her family’s land and other property from them. She also demanded protection to her life. An human rights body Peace and Human Rights Trust wanted to help her but an official from women development center in Hyderabad took her to the center with promise to provide her required help.

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What is most striking about this article is not the fact that such horrific acts are still being carried out with, basically, impunity, under the current local judicial system in this Indian state; it's that the rest of the article includes news about sewer charges and the celebration of Diwali; it's that this kind of horror story - the murder of a man for his property by his brother(s), the abduction of his children, the torture of his wife, the production of false papers to prove a non-existent divorce to further dispossess the wife of her widow's property - is nothing out of the ordinary! Just another day in the course of a poor woman's life in India. For Shame, India. For Shame!