Triple Homicide: Murder weapon recovered from suspect’s home

Man accused of killing wife, son and a passerby still missing.

FAISALABAD:

Batala Colony police claimed on Monday to have recovered the rifle used in a triple murder incident during a raid at the suspect’s house.

Police said the suspect, Waqas Bajwa, had fled before they arrived at the scene.

Bajwa is accused of killing his wife, Faiza, their newborn child and a passerby over an argument between the couple at Faiza’s parents’ house in Muslim Park Peoples Colony No 2 on Saturday. According the FIR registered on a complaint filed by Faiza’s father Sheikh Nasir, Bajwa had insisted that she return home with him on Saturday. Faiza refused to return until 40 days after child birth. She told Bajwa that her family would not allow her to return before 40 days. “She said she will stay with her parents for two more weeks, ” the FIR stated.

According to the FIR the suspect refused to listen to Faiza and started beating her. It said he tried to forcibly take her along. On her resistance, Bajwa shot her and their 27-day-old son, killing both on the spot.

The FIR says that the suspect also shot and killed a neighbour, Sajid, who tried to foil his escape.

Complainant Nasir told The Express Tribune that Faiza and Bajwa had married without seeking his permission about one and a half year ago. He said he gave his consent to their marriage after some time and relations between his family and Bajwa’s had been cordial.

Nasir said Bajwa visited his house about a week ago and left after talking to Faiza on cell phone. He said Faiza had refused to go with him. “He shot a couple of bullets in the air and left,” he said. He said the suspect later called him and told him to send Faiza back. Nasir said he had approached the Batala Colony police and informed them about the threat to his and his daughter’s life. “They assured me that action would be taken against him (Bajwa),” he said. However, he added, no action was taken.

SHO Yasir Jatt said police had not received a written application from the complainant with request for protection. Though, he said, the complainant had come to the police station to report the firing incident in front of his house about a week ago. “I had told him that he should file an application to request for protection. We did our job,” he said.

An FIR has been registered against Bajwa and his two accomplices at the Batala Colony police station. DSP Mian Muhammad Khalid said raids were already underway to arrest the suspects.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 20^th, 2011.