Ayesha Meera case closed as court accepts CBI final report

The protracted legal battle waged by the parents of Ayesha Meera appears to have come to an end without the accused being brought to justice, as the CBI Court here on Friday accepted the CBI report stating that no grounds existed to proceed further.

The High Court had earlier directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe the sensational Ayesha Meera case. The agency submitted its final report to the court a few days ago.

Ayesha Meera was allegedly raped and murdered in a private ladies’ hostel at Ibrahimpatnam on the outskirts of Vijayawada in December 2007. The case witnessed several twists and turns over the years, but justice has remained elusive despite relentless efforts by her parents, Shamshad Begum and Iqbal Basha, to ensure that those responsible were brought to book.

After perusing the charge sheet, witness statements, expert opinions and the judicial history of the case, and after hearing submissions from both sides, the court took note of the report filed by the investigating officers. It observed that there was no material warranting further investigation. The court also recorded that the victim’s parents expressed dissatisfaction with the CBI’s final report and conveyed their inability to bear further legal expenses.

In view of the absence of legally sustainable evidence and the parents’ stated unwillingness to pursue additional remedies at this stage, the court accepted the final report and ordered closure of the proceedings.

Counsel for the CBI submitted that no legally admissible evidence was found to proceed against any individual, and hence the final report was filed accordingly.