The ex-wife of Ahmad Murtaza Abbasi, accused in the Gorakhnath Temple attack, has claimed that he was not interested in married life. Her father alleged soon after the wedding in 2019, they brought her back as she faced domestic violence at the hands of her mother-in-law.
#UttarPradesh #Jaunpur
— TV9 Uttar Pradesh (@TV9UttarPradesh) April 5, 2022
मुर्तजा की पहली पत्नी शादमा के पिता मुज्जफरुल हक़ ने कहा, “मुर्तजा के साथ मेरी बेटी की शादी 2019 में हुई थी, मुर्तजा की मां हमारी बेटी को टॉर्चर करती थी, इसलिए हम लोगों ने तलाक़ ले लिया।”@jaunpurpolice @Uppolice pic.twitter.com/iyfmKQQdmh
Abbasi, who is currently on Police remand, got married to Shadma in 2019. She claimed during the period she lived with Abbasi, he rarely talked to her. Also, she never got access to his mobile phone or laptop, so she was not aware if he was indulged in any anti-social activity during that period. Furthermore, he was deeply religious and showed no interest in married life.
Speaking to TV9, Abbasi’s ex-father-in-law Muzaffarul Haq said her daughter got married to Abbasi in 2019. Soon after the marriage, they brought her back home as there were incidents of domestic violence for which he blamed her mother-in-law. He said, “We brought her back a few months after the marriage. He gave divorce on the phone, and since then, we did not have any contact with him.”
UP | In 2019 he married my daughter, soon after they divorced due to domestic violence by her mother-in-law. Not in touch with him since then.He was chemical engineer;was normal…I can’t comment on the incident: Muzaffarul Haq, Gorakhnath temple attack accused’s ex father-in-law pic.twitter.com/E9UMiXrw00
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) April 5, 2022
Notably, Abbasi’s father has claimed he was mentally unstable, but Haq was quoted by Times Now saying he was completely normal and showed no signs of mental issues when he was married to his daughter. Echoing her father’s statement, Shadma said she sought divorce because her mother-in-law tortured her over minor issues and not because he was mentally unstable.
UP ATS’s investigation in Mumbai
A team of Uttar Pradesh Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) reached Mumbai on Tuesday to investigate Abbasi’s connections in the city. Reportedly, the address mentioned on Abbasi’s Aadhaar card was in Navi Mumbai. The team visited Millenium Tower in Sanpada node near Vashi and found that the flat mentioned as the address in the card was sold in 2013. During the investigation, they found that his father, Munir Abbasi, had bought another flat at Taj Heights Apartment in sector 50 in Seawoods Darave. That flat is currently on rent, and the Abbasi family had shifted to Gorakhpur in October 2020.
Gorakhpur Temple Attack
On April 3, Ahmad Murtaza Abbasi attacked Gorakhpur Temple and severely injured two Police personnel with a sharp weapon. He was shouting Allah-Hu-Akbar during the attack. Before he could do further damage, Abbasi was overpowered by the officers present at the scene. Initially, Abbasi’s father had claimed that his son was mentally unstable, but both Police and the doctor who treated him after the attack refuted the claims.
During the investigation, Police have reportedly found that he was influenced by banned Islamic preacher Zakir Naik and had possible links to the terrorist organization ISIS. A day before the attack, he had visited Nepal and had bought the weapon on his way back. Abbasi was sent to 7-day Police remand by the court.
