The terrifying and inhumane incident of a brother mercilessly beheading his own sister has sent a chilling wave of shock and revulsion across the nation. This horrifying event unfolded in the Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh, India, on the 21st of July. The man behind this unfathomable act of violence is named Mohammad Riyaz, who is now in police custody.

A video capturing this grisly event can be seen here:

To dive into the specifics, the accused, 24-year-old Riyaz, found himself in a heated disagreement with his sister, Ashifa Bano. At the heart of their dispute was Ashifa's romantic relationship with a man from their own community and caste, Mohammad Chand Babu. Riyaz was adamantly opposed to their union, which led to a heated confrontation that ended horrifically with Riyaz severing his sister's head using a sharp weapon.

But the story of this brutal act does not end here. As if the heinous crime itself was not shocking enough, videos of Riyaz nonchalantly walking down the streets with his sister's severed head started to circulate widely, leaving people astounded and deeply disturbed. The harrowing sequence of events transpired in Mithwara village, under the jurisdiction of Fatehpur police station. According to reports from local villagers, Riyaz was headed towards the Fatehpur police station. Upon receiving this chilling information, the police immediately arrested the accused.

It's crucial to note the events leading up to this incident. On June 23rd, defying their families' wishes, Ashifa and Chand decided to run away together. Ashifa's father, Abdul Rashid, didn't take this lightly and lodged a case against Chand, accusing him of kidnapping and abduction, at the Fatehpur police station. Following this, the police found the runaway couple and put Chand behind bars.

While Chand remains incarcerated, Riyaz engaged in a fierce argument with his sister, regarding her relationship with Chand. The argument escalated dramatically, ending with Riyaz grabbing a sharp weapon and brutally beheading his sister.

The police in Barabanki released an official statement regarding the case. Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP-North), Ashutosh Mishra stated, "In Mithwara village, a 24-year-old man named Riyaz beheaded his sister. She was romantically involved with a man from the same community and village. The young woman had run away with her lover, leading to her father filing a complaint. Enraged by the situation, Riyaz committed the heinous crime. Upon receiving the information, police immediately arrived at the scene and apprehended the accused."

Unfortunately, this incident isn't the first example of so-called honor killing within the Islamic community. In November 2022, a case of similar nature was reported from the Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh, highlighting the deep-seated caste issues within Islam.

According to a report by SwarjyaMag, a woman named Mehzabin, belonging to an upper Sayed caste and a mother of three, eloped with Arif, who belonged to a lower Fakir caste. This act of defiance led to Mehzabin’s brother Mursaleen, in conjunction with his brothers and cousins named Mozzamil, Armaan, Muntazir and Shahnawaz, murdering the couple in cold blood.

Justifying this heinous act, they stated, “How can we Syeds give our daughter to a Faqir?”.

For context, individuals belonging to the Sayed caste are considered upper caste. They are either descendants of foreign immigrants to India or converted from the upper caste Hindus. In contrast, the Fakir caste includes individuals who converted from the Hindu 'sadhu' community, historically comprising of mendicants.

In the recent event in Barabanki, the castes of the victim and the accused are yet to be revealed, leading to speculation that this could be a case of old rivalry. Further updates on the case will be shared by the Organiser as soon as more details emerge.

Attempts were made to reach the Station House Officer in Fatehpur for further details, but all calls went unanswered. An interesting fact to note here is that if the woman was of legal age, the police would have no grounds to incarcerate Chand. This detail will be added to the story as soon as the police respond to the call.

In a similar vein, another blood-curdling incident from Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj was reported on July 20. An ISIS-inspired youth named Arif murdered his mother and sister and critically injured his father using an ax. When questioned by the police about his motives, he replied cryptically with "Maut ka Manzar" which translates to "scene of death".

Arif’s elder brother, Mohammad Azam, who managed to escape the carnage, revealed that Arif held extreme views. “Arif held radical views. He was shouting ‘Allah hu Akbar’ while killing his mother and sister,” Mohammad Azam, brother of the accused, stated. A circulating video on social media shows Arif walking on the balcony with a black flag.