Mobile phone theft turns neighbour into murderer

A suspicion that her friend had stolen her cell phone turned a woman into a killer. She hacked her neighbour to death.

The horrific incident took place on Sunday in Uttar Pradesh's Siddharth Nagar district, about 200 kilometres from here.

According to reports, neighbours Rafiya and Raheemunnisha alias Mania were very good friends and used to spend a lot of time together. But their friendship developed cracks when Mania’s cell phone was stolen about a month back. Mania suspected it had been taken by Rafiya though she did not have any evidence.

Reports said that Mania told Rafiya that she was in touch with a ‘sokha’ - a person who claims to be an expert in revealing thieves – who had assured that he would reveal the name of the culprit.

Four days after the theft, the mobile was found lying near the entrance of Mania's home. Maria then said that Rafiya must have thrown it back after knowing about the ‘sokha’. She harboured a grudge against Rafiya.

On Sunday, Mania saw Rafiya leaving for the fields. Sensing an opportunity to implement her plan, she also left a little later, carrying an axe in her hands.

Mania allegedly attacked Rafiya from behind with the axe leaving a deep wound on her neck. She then hit her several times and dumped the body in the fields before escaping from there. Rafiya’s body was recovered from the fields on Sunday evening.

Mania, who was taken into custody by the police when they came to know about the mobile theft, reportedly confessed her crime. She has been sent to jail, police said.