In the Matri Road area of Junagadh, family ties turned bloody when a petty suspicion brewing between two sides of the same family ended up costing a life. A squabble that began over fears of private household matters being leaked outside escalated so badly that 40-year-old Imtiaz Maheeda lost his life. Police have registered a case under murder and several other sections, and have put four accused behind bars.
The Spark Of Suspicion That Split Two Families
The two sides live close to each other, so visiting back and forth was routine. Complainant Mohammad Ilyas Maheeda's mother had gone to check on her sister-in-law Fatmaben at the home of Fatmaben's son, Amir Hussain. It was meant to be nothing more than an ordinary family visit. But Amir Hussain and his family became convinced that the other side was learning their private household matters and spreading them around the neighbourhood. That belief alone deepened the distance and bitterness between the two families.
The Night Of June 22 Turned Into A Violent Clash
The tension boiled over on the night of June 22, between roughly 9 and 10 pm. It is alleged that Dilawar Alibhai Ravanna and his three relatives, Shahbaz Amir Hussain Ravanna, Sultan Ravanna and Sahil Ravanna, together attacked the complainant's brother Imtiaz Maheeda and others. People present at the scene, including women, tried hard to break up the fight, but instead of cooling down, the dispute flared further.
In the middle of the scuffle, main accused Shahbaz picked up an iron pipe and struck Imtiaz hard on the head. Critically injured, Imtiaz was rushed to hospital for treatment. Since the matter was within a single family, the elders stepped in and brokered a compromise between the two sides, and no police complaint was lodged at the time.
His Condition Worsened Two Days Later, And He Died At Home
Things, however, took a sudden turn. On June 24, Imtiaz began suffering a severe headache. As his condition deteriorated, preparations were made to take him to hospital, but he died at home before he could be moved. A postmortem was carried out at the family's insistence, and its preliminary report confirmed severe internal bleeding, a haemorrhage, inside the head. That made it clear the cause of death was the very injury sustained in the attack.
All Four Arrested Within Hours, Main Accused Has A Criminal Record
Recognising the gravity of the case, Junagadh A-Division police acted swiftly, registered a murder case against all four accused and rounded them up within hours. The investigation also revealed that the main accused has a prior criminal record. The incident has shaken the entire area. The deceased leaves behind two young sons who have lost their father forever. The family is in mourning, and relatives are demanding the strictest possible action against the accused.
