Actor Nargis Fakhri's sister charged with murder of boyfriend, another woman
NEW YORK: A sister of actor Nargis Fakhri has been charged with the murder of her boyfriend and another woman after she set a building they were in on fire, and faces a potential maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.
Aliya Fakhri, 43, has been charged with the murder of her boyfriend Edward Jacobs, 35, and Anastasia Ettienne, 33.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said Fakhri deliberately set a deadly fire in a detached garage of a home in Jamaica, Queens here, trapping the two inside with no exit.
Katz said Fakhri maliciously ended the lives of two people by setting a fire that trapped a man and woman in a raging inferno.
The victims tragically died from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries.
Fakhri, a resident of Parsons Boulevard in Queens, was indicted by a grand jury for four counts of murder in the first degree, four counts of murder in the second degree and one count each of arson in the first degree and arson in the second degree, according to a recent statement.
Fakhri was arraigned by Supreme Court Justice John Zoll and remanded.
She faces a potential maximum of life in prison if convicted of the top charge.
She is scheduled to return to court on December 9.
According to the charges and investigation, on November 2, Fakhri arrived at the front door of a two-story detached garage in the Jamaica neighbourhood in Queens at around 6:20 am and yelled upstairs to Jacobs, "You're all going to die today."
Soon after, a witness who was inside the property came downstairs and discovered that the building was on fire.
Ettienne was alerted to the fire and went downstairs briefly.
The woman then returned upstairs in an attempt to save Jacobs, who was sleeping.
The building became engulfed with flames and neither Jacobs nor Ettienne could escape.
Both Jacobs and Ettienne later died from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries.
Actor Nargis Fakhri, 45, was born in Queens, New York and has acted in several Indian movies.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
CT Ravi warns of 'Belagavi Chalo Movement' if inaction on attempted murder complaint
Chikkamagaluru: Former Karnataka Minister and BJP MLC CT Ravi has accused the state Congress government of selective justice and threatened to launch a "Belagavi Chalo" movement if no action is taken against those who allegedly attempted to assassinate him.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Ravi alleged that the state government, led by Congress, operates on the "Hammurabi doctrine" rather than adhering to the Constitution. He criticized the swift police response to a complaint filed against him by Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar while claiming inaction on his own complaint regarding an alleged assassination attempt.
"Does the CM believe I don’t have the right to seek justice under the law? Should I also send goons to get justice?" Ravi questioned. He demanded a judicial investigation into the incident to uncover the truth.
Ravi alleged that he was detained and taken to "mysterious places" by Karnataka State Police, who acted on instructions from undisclosed sources. "I told them to record the calls they received during this operation," he added.
He stated his intent to pursue legal recourse, file complaints with the Human Rights Commission, and ensure those involved in the alleged murder attempt are held accountable. "An FIR has not been filed yet on my complaint. If action isn’t taken, we will launch the Belagavi Chalo movement," Ravi warned.
