UP cleric’s wife, 2 daughters found murdered inside mosque residence

The victims, identified as Israna (30) and her daughters Sofia (5) and Sumaiya (2), were discovered lying in pools of blood with injuries inflicted by a sharp-edged weapon.

The incident took place in Gangnauli village, where the woman’s husband, Ibrahim, serves as the imam of the main mosque. He was reportedly away in Deoband at the time of the killings.

The crime came to light when children arrived for their daily lessons at the mosque and saw the bodies, police said.

They immediately raised an alarm, prompting villagers to rush to the scene.

According to investigators, all CCTV cameras in the mosque compound had been switched off before the incident. Police have sealed the area and launched a detailed probe.

Superintendent of Police Suraj Kumar Rai, Additional SP Praveen Kumar Chauhan, and Circle Officer Vijay Kumar reached the spot and sent the bodies for post-mortem examination.

As the police attempted to remove the bodies, several villagers gathered and staged a protest demanding immediate justice. Senior officers managed to pacify the crowd after assuring them of swift action.

Ibrahim, originally from Muzaffarnagar district, has served as the imam of the Gangnauli mosque for four years. His wife, Israna, was known in the locality for teaching children within the mosque premises, India Today reported.

Deputy Inspector General (Meerut Range) Kalanidhi Naithani visited the scene and ordered an in-depth investigation, directing forensic teams to examine all possible leads.