‘Back-from-the-dead’ woman says husband pushed kids off train

LUCKNOW/PATNA: A 36-year-old woman, who was believed to be dead after being pushed off a moving train with her four minor daughters, made a dramatic appearance at her mother’s house in Bihar on Monday. On Tuesday, Afreena Khatoon told police that her husband committed the heinous act.

Talking to police officials after being brought to Sitapur to meet her three surviving daughters, Afreena said her ‘drunk’ husband Iddu Miyan, 42, pushed off their daughters from the running train. She said Iddu fought with her over money and was reluctant to take his family to Jammu, where he worked.

Afreena added that Iddu tried to throw their fifth and youngest daughter Haseena off the train too, but she foiled his attempt. She said on reaching Jammu, Iddu abandoned them and went missing. She then boarded a train with Haseena and returned to Bihar.

Afreena’s ‘back-from-thedead’ appearance has left UP government railway police (GRP) with an additional case of an unidentified woman’s body, which was recovered on the railway track near Maigalganj and the circumstances of her death.

The GRP have made little headway in this case even as they investigate the death of a sevenyear-old child, who they believe is one of Afreena’s daughters, Muniya. The account of nineyear-old Algun Khatoon, also believed to be Afreena’s daughter, guided the preliminary investigation. But Afreena’s account changed facts of the case, including the train they were on.

Algun and two other girls, believed to be her sisters, survived the fall, but were injured. Algun even identified the dead woman as her mother, said police. She initially said her father pushed them off, but later claimed her uncle and his friend did it. Police booked the children’s uncle and his friend in the case, but later ruled them out as suspects and focused on Iddu.

According to Afreena, the children were not pushed off the Amritsar-Saharsa Express, as Algun led the police to believe, but from the Kamakhya-Katra Express. She also said Iddu did not push her off the train.

“Afreena Khatoon turned up at Jagdishpur police station in Bettiah on Monday,” said Saumitra Yadav, SP, GRP, Lucknow.

Afreena’s mother identified her daughter and informed her local police station in Paharpur.

Police had tracked Iddu’s phone location to Jammu a few days ago, but are yet to find him. His family said he left Bihar years ago and worked in Jammu.