Hands Tied, Body in Tank: Hyderabad Father Accuses Maternal Uncle and Aunt in 7-Year-Old Sumaiya’s Murder
A 7-year-old girl was found dead in a water tank with her hands tied. Her father accuses her uncle and aunt as police probe a property dispute angle.
HYDERABAD – The death of a 7-year-old girl, whose body was found with her hands bound in a residential water tank, has taken a grim turn as her father has publicly accused her uncle and aunt of murder, leading to a intensive police investigation centered on a bitter family property dispute.
Table of Contents
Key Case Details
| Case Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Victim | Humeyni Sumaiya, 7-year-old girl |
| Location | Grandparents’ home in Hyderabad |
| Discovery Date | Wednesday afternoon (September 30) |
| Condition | Hands tied behind back with plastic rope |
| Current Case Status | Murder investigation underway |
| Potential Motive | Family disputes under investigation |
Timeline of Events Leading to Tragic Discovery
Tuesday Evening: Disappearance Reported
Humeyni Sumaiya was visiting her grandmother’s home along with her parents, Mohammad Azeem and Shabana Begum, when she went missing on Tuesday evening. The family immediately lodged a formal complaint at the Madannapet Police Station, which initially registered a “girl missing” case .
Overnight Search Operation
An intensive search operation continued through Tuesday night into Wednesday, involving multiple police teams and local residents. Despite these efforts, the search failed to locate the young girl. The water tank where she was ultimately found was not checked during the initial search .
Wednesday Afternoon: Grim Discovery
The breakthrough came Wednesday afternoon when Sumaiya’s mother returned to the grandmother’s house for one final inspection. She discovered her daughter’s body in the rooftop water tank and immediately alerted authorities .
Investigation Reveals Evidence of Foul Play
Hands Bound Behind Back
Upon examining the scene, investigators confirmed the girl’s hands were tied behind her back, indicating she was unable to enter the tank on her own and strongly suggesting murder. The case was officially altered from a missing person report to a murder investigation .
Forensic Examination Underway
The body was removed from the tank and sent for post-mortem examination, while forensic teams arrived at the scene to gather evidence. Water samples, fingerprints from the tank lid, and fibers from the rope were collected for analysis .
Preliminary Findings
Though the full autopsy report is pending, preliminary analysis suggests Sumaiya may have died 8-10 hours before being discovered, likely on Tuesday night. Additional findings include ligature marks on her wrists and early signs of blunt force trauma to her head.
A Father’s Accusation and the Property Dispute Motive
The case escalated when the girl’s father, Mohammad Azeem, filed a complaint alleging the involvement of his younger brother and sister-in-law—the child’s uncle and aunt.
Police are now investigating a long-standing property dispute between the two families as the primary motive. Neighbors and local sources confirm the families have been embroiled in conflicts over the division of their grandmother’s house and related rental income. This angle has become a central focus of the investigation.
Key Updates in the Police Investigation
The Hyderabad Police have altered the case to Section 302 (Murder) of the Indian Penal Code. Forensic teams have been active at the crime scene, collecting crucial evidence.
- Critical Evidence Collected: Investigators have gathered water samples from the tank, fingerprints from the tank lid, and fibers from the plastic rope used to bind the girl’s hands.
- No Forced Entry: The absence of a break-in suggests the perpetrator was known to the victim and had access to the home.
- CCTV Footage: An analysis of nearby camera footage reportedly shows Sumaiya last seen playing with cousins around 6:30 PM on Tuesday. She is not seen on any cameras after that time.
- Crime Scene Theory: Police suspect the girl was restrained and killed inside the house before her body was placed in the water tank.
Community Outcry and Investigation Scrutiny
The tragic death has sparked significant anger online and within the local community. Hashtags like #JusticeForSumaiya are trending on social media platforms, with citizens demanding swift arrests and justice.
A point of serious controversy has been the initial police search. Despite the girl being missing for hours, the overhead water tank on the building’s roof was not checked by officials during the initial search. It was the child’s mother who eventually discovered the body, raising questions about potential procedural delays.
Local community leaders and online petitions are now pressuring authorities to transfer the case to a specialized unit like the Central Crime Station (CCS) to ensure a thorough homicide investigation.
As of now, police have detained the uncle and aunt named by the father for questioning. No formal arrests have been made pending the completion of the forensic analysis and the final autopsy report. Officials have confirmed that initial observations show no signs of sexual assault.
The investigation continues as police piece together the final hours of Humeyni Sumaiya’s life in a case that has horrified the city and highlighted the deadly consequences of a familial feud.
