Third arrest in honour killing case

A third accused in the Bulandshahr honour killing case was arrested on Wednesday.

However, Mahawish, the pregnant widow of the deceased Abdul Hakeem, continues to fear for her life and that of her one-year-old daughter’s.

Mahawish told reporters that she had received threats from the local police, too. The village khap panchayat has already passed a death decree against her.

The third accused in the case, Gullu Malik, was arrested from Aligarh. Besides, Mahawish’s cousin Aslam was also taken into custody for interrogation.

Meanwhile, the state government has taken a serious view of the incident after continuous exposure in newspapers and TV channels at the national level. Cabinet minister Shivpal Singh Yadav told reporters in Lucknow that Mahawish would be given adequate protection. He said the two absconding accused would also be nabbed soon.