Madikeri: The skeletal remains of Safiya (14), a girl from Kodagu who was murdered in Goa 18 years ago, were laid to rest in her hometown on Monday, Nov. 11, following Islamic traditions.

In a significant development in Safiya’s murder case, the Kasaragod District Court in Kerala issued an order on Nov. 6, directing the handing over of Safiya’s skeletal remains to her parents. Following the Court’s directive, the remains were retrieved from the Kochi Forensic Laboratory and brought to her village.

At the old mosque in Aiyangeri, religious leader Usman Marzooki led a peace prayer for Safiya’s remains. The remains were then buried at the mosque’s burial ground.

Background of the case

Safiya, the daughter of Moidu and Ayesha from Napoklu Aiyangeri, was taken to Goa in 2006 by K.C. Hamsa, a private contractor from Muliyaar Mastikunda, Kasaragod, to work as a domestic help.

Hamsa and his wife, Maimoona, subjected Safiya to daily physical abuse. While working in the kitchen at Maimoona’s house in Goa, Safiya suffered severe burns from hot water, leaving her in critical condition.

Fearing prosecution under child labour laws, Hamsa, Maimoona and Maimoona’s brother M. Abdullah decided to cover up the crime. In a horrific act, they cut Safiya’s body into parts, put in a gunny bag and buried it near an under-construction bridge in Goa.

Days after Safiya’s disappearance, a case was registered at the Adur Police Station in Kasaragod. Local residents and various organisations, suspecting foul play, launched a widespread campaign through the ‘Safiya Action Committee,’ demanding a thorough investigation into the case. The case became a media sensation.

Amid growing public pressure, the Kerala Government eventually transferred the case to the Kasaragod District Crime Branch two years later.

During the investigation, Crime Branch officers subjected Hamsa, his wife Maimoona,and her brother Abdullah to intense questioning, which led to the revelation that Safiya had been murdered.

On June 5, 2008, the Police exhumed the remains buried near the under-construction bridge in Goa. DNA testing confirmed that the remains were indeed Safiya’s.

The accused — Hamsa, Maimoona, Abdullah, Moidu Haji and Adur Police Station ASI Gopalakrishna, who had assisted them — were all arrested and jailed.

Jail terms

On July 16, 2015, the Kasaragod District Principal and Sessions Court sentenced the main accused Hamsa, to death and imposed a fine of Rs. 10 lakh. The other two accused, Maimoona and her brother Abdullah, were sentenced to six years in prison and fined Rs. 1 lakh each.

Two other individuals were acquitted due to insufficient evidence. However, after the appeal by the main accused, the Kerala High Court, in 2019, commuted Hamsa’s death sentence to life imprisonment, observing that he did not have any criminal antecedents.

Taking a cue from Supreme Court judgments, the Court felt that the death penalty need not be imposed on the accused. The Bench also cancelled the punishment given to Maimoona and Abdulla. 

Sensitive case, a shocker

Given the sensitivity of the case, which had shocked Kasaragod and Kodagu, Safiya’s skeletal remains were preserved at the Kochi Forensic Science Laboratory as per Court orders.

On Nov. 6, 2024, Safiya’s parents, Moidu and Ayesha, requested the Kasaragod District Court to release their daughter’s remains so they could perform her last rites according to their religious traditions. The Court granted their request, and Safiya’s remains were handed over to her parents.

The remains were brought from Kochi and were laid to rest, bringing some peace to the grieving family after 18 years of waiting for justice.

The ceremony was attended by Safiya’s father, Moidu, her two brothers, Abdul Khader (President of AiyangeriJamaat), Rashid Aiyangeri (Gram Panchayat member), as well as several prominent figures, including Usman and Mohammad, along with dozens of villagers.