Hyderabad: A sense of fear has gripped the Old City after a spate of murders or multiple killings that have taken place in public in the past two months. The incidents have sparked concern among people, who are questioning the law and order police’s ability to contain crimes.
In the latest incident in Hyderabad’s Old City, a food court owner Samad Bin Shimla, who stays at Falaknuma, was stabbed to death by a group of armed persons at Kalapather. The murder, reported around 2 am on Tuesday, shocked the locality where people move on the roads 24 x7 and hotels conduct backdoor business at night as well.
The brutality displayed by the assailants is what has shocked several people who were passing on the road. Incidentally, Tuesday was the second day after Eid ul Adha, and there were crowds on the road in that part of Old City in Hyderabad until early hours of Wednesday.
“Surprising thing is the Kalapather police station in the Old City is located just 100 meters from the spot where Samad was killed. The road is patrolled by multiple police patrol vehicles of Shah Ali Banda and Kalapather police stations. Yet, the assailants brutally hacked the man to death without any fear of police,” lamented Syed Iftekhar, a local resident from Kalapather in Hyderabad.
Om June 14, five persons chased and killed one person Qutbuddin at Asifnagar publicly. The murder was filmed by people using mobile phones and shared on social media. The brutality of the murder shocked the people who watched it. The police two days later arrested five persons and claimed Qutbuddin was involved in a murder reported in 2023 at Jhirra, and that his killing was revenge for that murder.
A woman social worker from the Old City in Hyderabad said that there is concern among people, especially for the safety of children. “Who knows what will happen to them if they get caught between such violent acts on the streets?” the social activist said.
On June 8, a 40-year-old man was murdered by a group of persons at Attapur. The victim, Mohd Layeeq, a resident of Rajendranagar, had partied along with a group of friends at a bar and restaurant and reached the fish building at Rajendranagar road.
In another case, a Congress leader was murdered during a meeting at Hassannagar in Rajendrangar on May 3. The victim, Maqbool alias Maqbool Ustad, was present in the party office at around 10 pm when a person slit the throat of the victim using a knife in full public view before escaping from the spot.
On April 11, a man was murdered in broad daylight at Bahadurpura in the Old City of Hyderabad. The victim, Mohammed Rasheed, was on his way to his shop at 11 am when the accused intercepted him in front of Madina Bakery, Kishanbagh, and stabbed him several times. The accused — Shakeel Ahmed — stabbed Rasheed in his neck, shoulder, and abdomen. Due to excess bleeding, Rasheed died on the spot.
Similarly, on April 16, a 23-year-old man was stabbed to death at Asad Baba Nagar Kishanbagh while he was on way to the police station to lodge a complaint. Mohd Khaleel, alias Khanna, had a quarrel with some youngsters who beat him badly. His father Mahboob was taking him to the police station when some people stopped and attacked him in the colony while the people watched helplessly.
Majilis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) party spokesperson Amjedullah Khan said the law-and-order situation in Telangana deteriorated after the Congress government came to power. “When it comes to the Old City of Hyderabad, the police do not initiate proper action on complaints and due to intervention of local leaders compromise and leave the youngsters. Local leaders pocket some money and the youngsters have no fear of law or their own parents. Whenever petty fight cases are reported, the police should instead call parents and local religious heads and counsel the youngsters so that they don’t repeat such mistakes again,” he suggested.
“In some police stations sub inspectors are waiting for small fights to take place and then pocket money with help of local leaders. The nexus of police and local leaders is proving to be very dangerous for the society and law and order scenario,” another a social worker from Bandlaguda.
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