Mumbai: ‘It’s been 3 months, and we don’t know if my sister is alive’

Maria Fatima Khan, the missing woman

About 90 days ago, Maria Fatima Khan went to Bhoiwada police station to file a complaint against her husband for harassing her. But, as he accused her of having a relationship outside of marriage even at the police station, she walked out of there and was never seen again, her brother said on Sunday.

We have tirelessly searched everywhere for our sister, but there is no sign of her. The attempts of the police to locate her have also been ineffective. It has now been three months since her puzzling disappearance," said Altamesh Khan, Maria's brother.

Altamesh said her husband, Akram Khan, is already seeking to marry another woman Maria, a 30-year-old primary school teacher who has an MBA in finance, got married to software engineer Akram Khan four years ago. She had then shifted to Govandi.

The fight

On May 17, following a disagreement with her husband, Maria was dropped off at her maternal home, her mother Nazmunisa Khan told mid-day.

An undated photo of Maria Fatima Khan with her husband Akram Khan

"My sister, accompanied by my elder brothers, went to the Bhoiwada police station on May 18. The cops also summoned her husband, who then accused her of engaging in relationships outside of marriage without providing any evidence. He left the police station after a while. My sister also left, abandoning her cell phone and failing to complete the necessary complaint procedures," Altamesh said.

The footage from the CCTV camera at the police station also shows Akram pulling Maria inside.

The family said they were unaware of any issues in their marriage.

‘She's been distressed'

"Over the past two months, she appeared distressed. When my elder brother enquired, she said she was unwell, but did not express any grievances. We were aware of her recent miscarriage, which we believed could be contributing to her emotional state," Altamesh said.

"However, the situation escalated when her husband began accusing Maria of being in a relationship with a friend of hers. We thoroughly investigated, but found no incriminating messages between them that would raise suspicions. In fact, my sister had confided in her friend about the harassment she was enduring from her husband," the brother said.

"Our only hope is from the Mumbai police to locate Maria," Altamash, who works abroad, said. He also appealed to Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis to find Maria and other missing women.

HusbandSpeak

"We were living happily until I discovered her relationship with one of his friends. I confronted her with evidence, and she confessed. I took her to her parents' home. The next day, I was called to the police station. I explained everything in front of her. Afterwards, she left the station... I learned about her disappearance two days later. I have nothing to do with this situation and am fully cooperating with the police," said Akram.