Amroha: A four-year-old adopted girl, Zara, was found dead under suspicious circumstances in Mohalla Qureshi, triggering a major police investigation. Initial inspection revealed multiple bruises on her face and body. Police detained her stepmother, Shaista, on suspicion of assault and murder.
Zara was adopted by handloom artisan Mohammad Islam and his late wife Saira shortly after her birth. Saira passed away five months ago, after which Islam married Shaista, a divorcee from Sambhal. The family lived in a rented house in Gali No. 2 of Mohalla Qureshi.
On Thursday morning (13 Nov 2025), Islam left for work at 8 a.m., but around 9:30 a.m., Shaista called him claiming Zara was unwell and having difficulty breathing. Islam rushed home and took the child to a private hospital, where doctors declared her dead. Noticing injury marks, Islam informed his family and the police.
Inspector Pankaj Tomar reached the spot with his team, and a forensic team collected evidence. Shaista was taken into custody for questioning. SP Amit Kumar Anand also interrogated her at the police station. Initially, the family did not lodge a complaint.
A panel of doctors later conducted the post-mortem, which revealed over 12 injury marks and confirmed that Zara had been brutally beaten and strangled. Following the report, Islam filed a complaint, after which police registered a murder case against Shaista. She was arrested, produced in court, and sent to jail. During interrogation, she confessed to the crime.
According to police, Shaista allegedly beat Zara after she dirtied her clothes while playing and then strangled her to death. To hide the crime, she told Islam that the child was unwell and falsely claimed the girl had fallen from the stairs. Neighbours reportedly heard the child's screams but avoided speaking to the police.
Zara’s biological parents, Qayyum and Naima of Panju Sarai, who had legally given her up for adoption, were devastated after learning of her murder. Islam too is shattered, having lost his first wife and adopted daughter within six months.
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