Two girls helped in woman’s conviction

HYDERABAD: Two girls, aged 12 and 14, played a crucial role in the conviction of Arshiya Begum, who was on Thursday sentenced to life imprisonment for killing her six-month-old niece in October 2015.

Haleena Begum, mother of the six-month-old victim, initially suspected the two girls and Arshiya of murdering her child. However, the girls who saw Arshiya holding the child before she was discovered dead in a sump became key evidence in the court.

Haleena Begum had fed the child and gone to a neighbour on the day of the murder, leaving the baby at home, police said. When she returned home, the baby had gone missing and was found dead in the sump the next day. Initially, the two girls who were at home when Haleena left, as well as Arshiya Begum, were suspected of being involved in the child's death and were questioned.

During questioning, the two girls said they last saw their aunt Arshiya holding the child and heard the child cry.  Based on this clue, police questioned Arshiya separately, during which she admitted to drowning and killing the child in the sump.

During the investigation, police recorded the two girls' statements, which were presented to the court along with the chargesheet. Taking their statements, as well as the statements of other family members who testified about Arshiya's disagreements with Haleena, the court found Arshiya guilty and sentenced her to life in prison.