Authorities in Vijayawada gave the mortal remains of Ayesha Meera, a 17-year-old student raped and murdered in 2007, to her parents. The remains, exhumed by the CBI in 2019 for re-postmortem, were received by Shamshad Begum and Iqbal Basha at a court in Vijayawada. The court’s directive last week paved the way for Ayesha Meera’s family to perform her last rites.
Several women activists and justice committee members showed solidarity with Shamshad Begum and her husband as they collected the remains. They expressed their support by carrying placards demanding justice for Ayesha. Despite their 19-year-long struggle, Shamshad Begum voiced disappointment over the lack of justice and prayed for the harshest punishment for the perpetrators.
Shamshad Begum highlighted alleged tampering of evidence in the case and vowed to persist until the culprits are brought to justice. The family intends to meet Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to seek further action. The unresolved rape and murder case, initially handled by the police and later the CBI, remains a source of anguish for Ayesha’s family.
