The victims, identified as Aasma (45) and her daughters Aalia (9), Aaksha (16), Rehmeen (18), and Aalsiya (19), were found lifeless in Room 109 of Hotel Sharanjeet. Arshad admitted to strangling them with a dupatta after sedating them and slitting their wrists with a blade. His father, Mohammed Badar (55), helped him execute the horrific act before being dropped off at Charbagh railway station by Arshad.
Confession and Motive
Arshad recorded a video showing the bodies and explaining his motive. He claimed land-related harassment by some locals of his community in their hometown Agra and claimed they were selling his sisters in Hyderabad. “If anything happened to me, who would protect them?” he said in his video, explaining his twisted logic for committing the murders.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Central Zone, Raveena Tyagi, stated that Arshad confessed during the initial interrogation, revealing that the crime was planned. Arshad first took his family to Ajmer, then brought them to Lucknow and arranged for them to stay at a hotel.
The Crime Scene
The incident took place after 1 a.m. on Wednesday, as hotel staff confirmed seeing the family outside their room earlier. Police believe the victims were forced to drink alcohol at night since there were no signs of a struggle. The discovery of the blade and dupatta used in the crime added to the shocking details.
“The injuries and lack of resistance suggest the victims were incapacitated before being strangled. Their wrists were later slit to ensure death,” said DCP Tyagi.
Police Action and Investigation
After committing the murders, Arshad walked into the police station to report the crime. Police teams rushed to the scene and discovered the dead bodies. An FIR under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code was filed against Arshad based on a complaint by sub-inspector Kamal Kumar.
Agra police have been notified, and they are working to find Mohammed Badar, who is still missing. CCTV footage from the area is being reviewed to track his movements.
Shock in the Community
The Naka area, which is very crowded, is in shock after the crime that happened on the first day of the new year. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem, and the investigation is continuing to figure out exactly what happened and confirm Arshad’s statements.
