Meerut, Nov. 16 -- A four-year-old girl, Zara, adopted by a couple in Amroha district's Qureshi locality, was brutally beaten and strangled to death by her stepmother, Shaista on Saturday. The crime came to light after the post-mortem revealed more than 12 injury marks on the child's body, confirming homicide. Police on Friday arrested Shaista and sent her to jail following a complaint lodged by the child's father, Mohammad Islam, who had initially rushed his daughter to a hospital after Shaista claimed she was facing breathing issues. Doctors declared the child dead on arrival. Mohammad Islam, a handloom (carpet) artisan, married Saira nine years ago. The couple, unable to conceive, adopted Zara from Kayyum and his wife Naima of Panju Sarai in Naugawan Sadat when the baby was only three days old. The adoption was formalised through a registered stamp paper. Tragedy struck five months ago when Saira passed away due to illness. Islam later married Shaista, a divorcee from Sambhal district. Islam, his new wife and Zara lived on rent in Gali No. 2 of the Qureshi locality. On Thursday, Islam left for work at 8 am. Around 9:30 am, Shaista called him, claiming Zara was unwell and having difficulty breathing. Islam rushed home and took the child to a private hospital, where doctors pronounced her dead. Visible injuries on the child's body prompted suspicion. Islam took Zara's body to his younger brother Mobin's home, where police soon arrived. Shaista was taken into custody after officers noted inconsistencies in her statements and suspected foul play. SP Amit Kumar Anand personally interrogated Shaista and ordered a panel post-mortem. The autopsy confirmed that Zara had been mercilessly beaten with fists, kicks, and possibly a stick before being strangled to death.Following the post-mortem findings, police registered a murder case against Shaista based on Islam's complaint. She was arrested, produced in court, and sent to jail. During questioning, she confessed to murdering the child, SP Anand confirmed. Zara's biological parents, Kayyum and Naima, were left heartbroken upon learning of her death. Police said Shaista often behaved harshly with the child. On the day of the murder, Zara was playing outside and dirtied her clothes. Enraged, Shaista assaulted her brutally and later strangled her. To evade suspicion, she called Islam pretending the child had suddenly fallen ill and even concocted a story that she had fallen from the stairs.htc...