Thrashed first wife into coma, trapped multiple girls; Ashkar's history of violence

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ashkar, the accused in murdering a toddler in Panavoor Nedumnagad, is no stranger to dastardly crimes. Ashkar's first wife, Amina, is a victim of his crimes. Ashkar’s physical violence pushed her into a coma. Although Amina regained her memory, she could not regain her ability to speak.

She is still undergoing treatment at the Medical College Rehabilitation Centre. Amina went through physical torture over dowry disputes.

Amina was often beaten hard on her head against the wall. She had to stay in a coma on a ventilator for a long time. Amina got her life back after undergoing surgery during a 42-day hospital stay.

Ashkar, an auto-rickshaw driver in Panavoor, married Amina, a native of Palode, four years ago. He met Amina, who was studying for Plus Two at that time, through social media. He started stalking her on her way to school and confessed his love. Finally, the family agreed to the marriage and booked an auditorium. However, during this time, the family came to know more about Ashkar's character flaws, and they backed out. Ashkar soon eloped with Amina. Soon, discord happened between them over dowry, and Amina went through inexplicable torture. Amina's mother also alleged that she had filed a complaint with the Nedumangad police several times, but no action was taken.

Meanwhile, Ashkar worked part-time as a driver of a tempo for a nearby dance troupe. This helped him get closer to other girls, and they were easy prey for him. Along with establishing a relationship with a woman in Attingal, Ashkar was also in a close relationship with another girl and extorted three lakh rupees from her. The matter was resolved with the intervention of social workers and politicians.

After this, he established a relationship with Akhila. Akhila, who was going to dance programs, was three months pregnant when her husband Akhil committed suicide. After Akhil's death, he and Ashkar rented a house in Karikuzhi and settled there.

Akhil's father, Sunil Kumar, said that Ashkar used to harass the child regularly. He said that Akhila's dance troupe teacher called him and said that the child would be given to the government’s electronic cradle, as Akhila had to concentrate on dance programs and had no means to look after the child. Sunilkumar asked the couple to hand over the child to him, but they refused. He was preparing to file a complaint through an advocate when the shocking death reached him.