On March 19, 2024, in Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun district, two minor brothers, Ayush and Ahaan, were brutally murdered after being stabbed with knives. Their younger brother, 10-year-old Yuvraj, was injured in the same attack. The accused were two brothers, Sajid and Javed, who operated a salon near the victims’ home.
Following the incident, the main accused, Sajid, was killed in a police encounter, while his brother Javed was arrested. OpIndia spoke to Vinod Kumar Singh, the father of the deceased children, to understand the ordeal faced by their family after that.
While talking to OpIndia, Vinod Singh expressed satisfaction with the police investigation and their actions. According to the police charge sheet, Sajid had planned the murder as part of a superstitious belief involving exorcism and child sacrifice. Both Sajid and Javed were implicated in the crime. Vinod revealed that Sajid was convinced that he would have a child only after sacrificing another child and that would bring happiness in his life. However, the Maulvi who influenced Sajid was not arrested despite having been charged in the FIR.
Vinod shared that he had often helped Sajid and his brother financially during their difficult times. On the day of the incident, Sajid visited Vinod’s house to ask for monetary help of Rs 5,000. Vinod and his wife agreed to lend him the money but they never imagined that the person they were helping would destroy their family like this.
Day of the incident
Recalling the tragic day, Vinod said Sajid came to his house and behaved normally, raising no suspicions. Javed accompanied him but he was carrying a knife. Ayush had just returned from school at that time and was sitting at the cosmetics shop looked after by Vinod’s wife. Sajid then took Ayush to the terrace under the pretext of taking a walk. In the meantime, Javed also joined them.
Sajid and Javed, on the terrace, attacked Ayush with knives. Meanwhile, Yuvraj, the younger brother of the deceased two boys was sent out on the pretext of buying gutkha. Later, Ahaan, Ayush’s brother, went up to the terrace, where both brothers were murdered within just ten minutes.
As Sajid and Javed descended from the terrace after murdering Ayush and Ahaan, Yuvraj who was sent to buy guthka, returned. Sajid tried to kill Yuvraj with a knife, but the boy managed to escape, screaming for help. Hearing his cries, the family members reached the terrace to see what had happened. However, the two accused had fled by then.
False allegations against the woman
Vinod Singh shared that after the murder of his sons, some individuals tried to tarnish his wife’s reputation with baseless rumors. Allegations of an illicit relationship between his wife and Sajid were circulated. Denouncing those claims as completely false, Vinod stated, “If my wife was guilty, Sajid would have targeted me, not my children.” He urged people through OpIndia to ignore such unfounded rumors.
Ongoing court proceedings
Vinod stated further that the court hearings in the case are currently underway. The prosecution has presented four witnesses so far which are Vinod Singh, his wife, his mother, and his injured son, Yuvraj. Three testimonies have already been recorded and Yuvraj has been scheduled to provide his statement on the next court date.
“Additional testimonies, including those of police officers and government staff, are yet to take place. After the prosecution concludes presenting evidence, the defense may bring witnesses to testify on behalf of Sajid and Javed,” Vinod said.
Conspiracy to delay the case
While talking to OpIndia, Vinod said that a Hindu lawyer is representing the accused, which he says deeply saddens him. After the brutal murder of his children, lawyers had initially resolved not to defend the accused. However, this lawyer is now assisting the accused persons in the case, which saddens him.
“Javed’s lawyer frequently employs legal tactics to delay proceedings. These include filing applications for extended dates and requesting additional time to submit documents. Frustrated by the delays, I am planning to approach the Allahabad High Court to demand the swift resolution of the case. We want a directive for the lower court to deliver a verdict within a set time frame,” he said.
He also pointed out that Javed’s lawyer is a senior advocate with several Muslim junior lawyers working under him, some of whom are allegedly connected to Sajid’s in-laws. Vinod suspects these junior lawyers are contributing to the delays in the case. Despite these challenges, Vinod lauded the then SHO Gaurav Vishnoi who took swift action against the murderers at that time. He commended Vishnoi for staying connected with his family even after being transferred, treating them like one of his own.
Lack of regret from the accused and their family
Vinod expressed his anguish over the lack of guilt or regret shown by the accused and their family. “Javed regularly attends court but never displays any regret for his actions. Similarly, Javed’s mother, who is often present in court, has never expressed any remorse. Neither Javed nor his family feels even the slightest sorrow or shame for the tragedy they caused,” Vinod said.
“No one has called or visited us in the last six months. We feel isolated. This is not just my tragedy but the tragedy of the entire Hindu community,” Vinod added.
After the murders of Ayush and Ahaan, the family received Rs 2 lakh in financial aid under the Prime Minister’s Scheme as part of government assistance. However, Vinod expressed disappointment that the other promises made by the administration and political leaders are yet to be fulfilled. “We hoped that some meaningful actions would be taken to ease our pain, but nothing of the sort has happened,” he lamented.
Vinod revealed the deep emotional toll the tragedy has taken on his family. Although they are trying to return to normalcy, the memories of Ayush and Ahaan linger in every corner of their home. Their surviving son, Yuvraj, is now in class 5 and has resumed school, but the family remains deeply affected. “We avoid staying in the house because of the constant reminders of our loss,” Vinod said.
The family moved into their current house three years ago after selling their previous home in another part of Badaun. Reflecting on their situation, Vinod said, “If we still had our old house, we would have moved back there after the incident.” The tragedy has also taken a toll on the health of the children’s grandmother and mother, further adding to the family’s hardships.
Closure of businesses
Before the tragedy, Vinod’s wife contributed to the family’s income by running a small cosmetic salon from home. However, the parlor has remained closed since the murder of their children, leaving the family’s financial burden solely on Vinod, who works as a water tank builder. Following the incident, Sajid and Javed’s salon has been permanently shut down, and no Muslim-owned shops now operate in the neighborhood. A Hindu entrepreneur has since opened a new salon in the space previously occupied by Sajid and Javed.
The day after the murders, police shot the main accused, Sajid, in an encounter. According to reports, Sajid had fired at the police, prompting them to act in self-defense. On March 21, 2024, the police arrested the co-accused, Javed, who had been absconding, from Bareilly. The trial is currently underway in the district court of Badaun. Vinod Singh meanwhile also expressed frustration over the slow progress of the case, saying, “We are waiting for justice, but the system’s relax attitude has only added to our suffering.”