SEEMA BANU’S FAMILY: ‘WE CAN NEVER FORGET’
Brother of woman found dead with her children reveals heartbreak of watching funeral online
THE heartbroken brother of Seema Banu, who was found dead alongside her two murdered children in south Dublin, has spoken of the family’s “intense pain”, over missing their funeral ceremony two days ago.
More than 1,000 people from Seema’s village of Halaganahalli, in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, watched the funerals held in Dublin from a giant TV screen erected in the middle of the family’s rural village.
Speaking to the Sunday Independent yesterday, Rizwan Ghaffar said his elderly parents remain “inconsolable and have given up meals” ever since they learned “that their daughter is no more”.
The older brother of 37-year-old Seema, who was found dead in inconclusive circumstances alongside her murdered daughter Asfira Riza Syed (11) and six-year-old son Faizan Syed on October 28, said: “The family is in deep grief over the death of my youngest sister Seema Banu and the two kids. We feel intense pain on not being able to attend their funeral on Friday. The village youth organised a giant-size TV monitor at the village square to project the funeral for the entire village to watch. Over a thousand villagers had gathered to watch it. Several members of the family and neighbours broke down while watching.”
Her heartbroken brother explained that Seema was the youngest of eight and said she and her two children will never be forgotten by their loving family in India.
“Seema will always reside in our memories and hearts. We can never forget the faces of the innocent children slain,” he told this newspaper, with the assistance of interpreter and local journalist MA Siraj.
The family in India are now assisting gardaí with the investigation into the murder of his niece and nephew and the death of his sister. The family have passed on all telephone communications from Seema relating to her personal life, which could prove “vital” to the ongoing Garda probe.
“The family has sent all the proofs of communication and telephone conversations with Seema in recent months to the
Gardaí. It might be that they are working on local clues,” added her brother.
Rizwan described his sister as a caring woman who “often inquired about all the neighbours, childhood friends and relatives in the village whenever she contacted them on the phone”.
It is an ambition of the grieving family in India to visit Ireland and pay their respects to Seema and the children at their gravesides.
“The family would like to someday visit their graves in Ireland and pray for the departed souls. Current circumstances do not allow us to stir out of homes and we feel ourselves in a siege,” he added.
The grieving brother said the family remain in contact with the Indian ambassador to Ireland, Sandeep Kumar, to whom the family extended its thanks for the ongoing assistance and keeping them up to date on the investigation.
On Friday, the husband of Seema Banu broke down in tears at the funerals of his wife and two children. Sameer Syed cried as Seema’s coffin and the two small white coffins of their children were opened
for him to say goodbye before the burials in Newcastle, Co Dublin, on Friday afternoon.
Gardaí have confirmed that the children were murdered but have yet to formally determine how Seema sustained her fatal injuries.
Detectives are examining the possibility that she was murdered. Investigators at Dundrum have a “person of interest” in the case, but no arrests have been made.
Seema, her husband Sameer and their two children moved to Ireland from Dubai earlier this year. Seema’s family in India had wanted their remains repatriated for burial in their native country. However, they later accepted the decision for their funerals to take place in Ireland.
The bodies of the mother and her two children were released last week and brought to Clonskeagh Mosque, where they were washed and prepared for burial at the Muslim Cemetery in Newcastle, Co Dublin.
Two hearses — one carrying Seema’s coffin and the other carrying the coffins of the two children — arrived at the cemetery around 2.30pm.
Sameer was among a small number of mourners who attended the burial ceremony and helped carry the coffins to the grave before saying his goodbyes to his wife and children.
Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri, the Head-Imam of the Islamic Centre of Ireland, was among the attendees at the funerals.
“It’s such a tragic way to go and it’s a tragedy for all Ireland, not just the Muslim community. For something like this to happen in Ireland is unheard of,” he said.
A “person of interest” in the case has given two voluntary statements to gardaí because of his relationship to the three deceased.
Gardaí were contacted on October 28 by concerned neighbours of Seema, who lived with her two children at Llewellyn Court in Ballinteer, when the family had not been seen for several days.
Gardaí then forced their way into the house they found the remains of Seema in an upstairs bedroom, face up, and those of her two children in another upstairs bedroom, face down, it is understood.
A ligature was found beside the 37-year-old’s body in an upstairs bedroom. Ligatures were also found close to the two children, it is understood.
Gardaí believe the remains lay undiscovered for a number of days. A tap had been left running in an upstairs bathroom in the house and had caused extensive flood damage.
Due to the water damage, there are scant forensic clues, sources say, which has complicated the investigation.