Cops say Budaun double murder accused Sajid was mentally ill. ‘Upset he was childless, tried self-harm’

According to the Budaun SSP, Sajid, who was shot dead in 'encounter' after allegedly killing 2 young boys, had been mentally ill since childhood, prone to bouts of anger & aggression.

Budaun double murder accused Sajid, who was shot dead in an alleged encounter | By special arrangement

New Delhi: Sajid had been mentally ill since childhood, would have bouts of aggression and was upset as his wife had suffered four miscarriages — this is what has emerged from the police’s investigation in the Budaun double murder case so far.

ThePrint had reported Wednesday that the wife of main accused Sajid wasn’t pregnant, which is in contradiction to what he had told the family of the two boys he allegedly killed in Budaun Tuesday evening. He had gone to their home claiming he needed Rs 5,000 for his wife’s delivery.

At a press conference, Budaun Senior Superintendent of Police Alok Priyadarshi said: “He (Sajid) was mentally ill as a child. His father had taken him for treatment multiple times. In the past, he had tried to self-harm and would have phases of aggressive and violent behaviour. We are probing the nature of his illness. Whenever he would feel unwell, he would go out of control. His father had kept him at a dargah for a while due to his illness. He was being treated by a doctor in Budaun.”

Sajid, who was gunned down by the police in an alleged encounter in Budaun’s Sheikhupura area late Tuesday, is accused along with his brother Javed of slitting the throats of 13-year-old Ayush and six-year-old Ahaan at their home in Budaun’s Baba colony. Their third brother, eight-year-old Piyush, managed to run away and raise an alarm. The family had known the accused for years.

Initially, only Sajid’s name had cropped up in the case. Later, when the FIR was lodged, Javed was named as co-accused.

According to the police, on the day of the murders, Sajid and Javed had reached their barber shop in the locality around 8.30 am. Sajid was upset that day, the police said after interrogating Javed who surrendered in Bareilly Thursday and subsequently arrested.

“Javed said during interrogation that Sajid had good relations with the bereaved family. Javed started his work like a regular day. Around 10.30 am, Sajid told Javed that he needed to go see a doctor and came back around 1.30 pm. Sajid again said that he wasn’t feeling well. We have found a witness who has stated that Sajid wasn’t well. Javed told him that they will cook chicken at night and eat. Sajid then got a knife in the evening. We are questioning the person from whom he bought the knife,” SSP Priyadarshi said.

According to the police, Javed told them that when he asked Sajid about the knife, he said it was for cutting meat. “Sajid then told Javed that he had to go to the victims’ house for some work. Sajid entered their house and committed the crime. When Javed saw that Sajid was in blood-soaked clothes, both of them ran away from the spot,” the SSP further said.

In the FIR, the boys’ family has accused both Sajid and Javed of murder. The FIR states that Javed initially stood outside the house with his motorcycle while Sajid asked for Rs 5,000 from the boys’ mother for his wife’s delivery. When she went inside to get the money, Sajid first took Ahan to the terrace and called Javed inside the house, the FIR states.

A video of Javed had gone viral before his arrest, in which he claimed that he was not present at the spot when the murders took place.

According to the police, Javed has said he didn’t enter the house. “He has said that he was waiting outside. We are ascertaining this. The neighbours have also said they saw Javed waiting outside,” the SSP said.

“Sajid was mentally disturbed and his wife had had multiple miscarriages. One child was stillborn,” he added. “A lot of claims are being made. We will verify all claims including Javed’s claim that Sajid would visit the victims’ house. Further investigation is on.”

(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)