Jharkhand On The Boil Over Shraddha Walkar-Style Brutal Murder Of Tribal Woman By Muslim Husband

The brutal murder of a 22-year-old tribal woman belonging to the Pahariya tribe by her Muslim husband has sent shockwaves across Jharkhand. 

The woman, identified as Rabika Pahadin, was the second wife of one Diladar Ansari who murdered Rabika and chopped her body into many parts.

The gruesome murder happened at Ansari’s home in Belatola locality under Boria police station’s jurisdiction in the state’s Sahibganj district. 

Ansari and his family members, including his siblings, his parents and his first wife allegedly murdered Rabika in the intervening night of Friday (16 December) and Saturday (December 17), chopped her body into many parts and disposed them off at various places. 

Sahibganj Superintendent of Police Anuranjan Kispotta told Swarajya that apart from Diladar Ansari, his parents, two brothers, sister, his first wife and three distant relatives, including two women, have been arrested on charges of murder and destruction of evidence. An uncle is on the run. 

The brutal murder came to light after some local people saw street dogs fighting over what looked like parts of a human body in Momintola locality of Boria.

Momintola is adjacent to Belatola locality where the victim used to reside. They informed the police, who launched a quick probe that zeroed in on the Ansai clan. 

Police said that the parents, siblings and other relatives of Dildar participated in the murder and subsequent disposal of body parts of the victim. Many parts of the victim’s body were recovered on Sunday and Monday (18 and 19 December) by the police, but her head is still missing. 

According to police sources, the Ansaris wanted Rabika to get her parents to convert to Islam. Rabika was forced to convert soon after her marriage to Dildar. The Ansaris were eyeing properties belonging to Rabika’s parents. 

Dildar had allegedly tricked Rabika into marriage by concealing the fact that he was already married. Trouble started when Rabika discovered this after her marriage. Since then, Dildar and his family members started torturing Rabika. 

Unverified reports say that Rabika was forced to have sex with some male members of the Ansari clan, including her husband’s uncles and cousins. She would be beaten severely whenever she refused. 

The brutal murder figured in the opening day of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly’s winter session with BJP legislators demanding exemplary punishment for Dildar and his family members.

The Opposition (BJP) MLAs also demanded that Rubika’s name be included in the customary list of mentions for condolence messages that are read out on the first day of an Assembly session. 

BJP legislature party leader and former chief minister Babulal Marandi told Swarajya that the murder has once again underscored the need to carry out an extensive exercise to identify people of suspected Bangladeshi origin who have infiltrated into tribal areas of Jharkhand. 

“Lakhs and lakhs of Bangladeshi Muslims have settled down illegally in Jharkhand’s Santhal Parganas (tribal) districts. We need an exercise to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to identify them and deport them from the tribal areas,” said Marandi. 

The former chief minister said that the demography of the tribal districts of the state is being transformed with the entry of lakhs of Bangladesh-origin Bengali-speaking Muslims.

“Muslim men are targeting innocent tribal girls, enticing them into marriage and converting them forcibly to Islam. The present government is ignoring this massive problem,” said Marandi. 

Pahariyas are among the most backward tribals of the state and have seen their lands being taken over by non-tribals. 

Sahibganj district has been the abode of Pahariyas, who find mention in the accounts of Megasthenes dating back to 302 BCE. Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang’s accounts of 645 CE also mention the Pahariyas inhabiting Rajmahal Hills which form most of present-day Sahibganj district. 

The Rajmahal Hills were the main gateway for Muslim invaders marching into Bengal. Bakhtiyar Khilji marched to and from Bengal through Teligarhi in the Rajmahal Hills. Sher Shah Suri and Humayun fought pitched battles near Teliagarhi. 

Many Muslim soldiers settled down in the area from that time and locals were also forcibly converted to Islam. But over the past few decades, unabated influx of Bengali-speaking Muslims of suspected Bangladesh origin has driven the Muslim population of the distrcit to more than 34 per cent. 

Congress governments in the past, and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led government at present, have turned a blind eye to the problems posed by this terrible change in the demography of the tribal areas. The Congress is part of the ruling alliance in the state. 

“Congress governments in the past and even the present government treat the Muslims, especially the Bangladesh-origin Muslims, as valuable vote banks and protect them,” said a BJP leader. 

Many crimes, ranging from petty to heinous ones, are attributed to these Bangladeshi infiltrators who are usually a radical lot and have been indulging in converting locals to Islam. 

Also Read: After Shraddha’s Murder, A Spate Of Cases With Similar Death Threats To Women In Interfaith Relationships