KASARGOD: A murder most foul can leave a haunting legacy. The possessions of loved ones who have departed can hold a value that raises existential questions. And, the remains of a long-lost victim of foul play can amount to more than just closure.
On November 11, the skeletal remains of Safiya were handed over to her parents on the direction of the District Principal Sessions Court. These included a portion of Safiya’s skull, which was used for the superimposition process to identify her, and the mandible, which had been kept as evidence. Judge Sanu S Panicker ordered the release on a petition filed by the then public prosecutor C Shukur.
The daughter of Moidu and Ayesha, of Aiyangeri, in Karnataka’s Kodagu district, Safiya was a teenager when her life was brutally cut short, leaving behind a tale of exploitation and injustice. And it was Ayesha’s determination that brought the culprits to light.
The tragic chain of events was set in motion in 2006 when 13-year-old Safiya was hired by civil contractor K C Hamza and his wife Maimoona to work as a maid at their home in Kasaragod. Following their subsequent relocation to Goa, the family took Safiya along, a decision that would ultimately seal her fate.
A few months later, Hamza contacted Moidu with news that Safiya would be brought back to Kasaragod. When Moidu reached Kasaragod to receive his daughter with her favourite Indian gooseberries he was told that she is missing. The girl’s father and Hamza proceeded to file a complaint with Adhur police.
According to Shukur, “Moidu had to raise money from neighbours to travel to Kasaragod. The police investigated the case for more than a year. During that time, an action committee was formed and Safiya’s mother staged a 90-day protest in Kasaragod town, demanding justice for her daughter. Crime branch took over the case after one-and-a-half years and solved the mystery.”
The investigation unravelled a web of lies, as Hamza’s claim of Safiya’s disappearance was exposed as a desperate attempt to cover up the gruesome truth. She had been brutally murdered, dismembered, and buried near a dam site in Goa after suffering severe burns. Hamza was arrested in 2008
“I am eternally grateful to the countless individuals who stood by us and played a crucial role in our quest for justice ,” Moidu said.
In July 2015, Hamza was sentenced to death by the Kasaragod Sessions Court. However, the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment by the Kerala High Court in 2019.