Mysterious murders: Girls recall mother giving a ‘medicine to help sleep’

Their mother, sister died after allegedly consuming poisonous food

SUKKUR: On Friday, three deaths took place at Chandka Medical College Hospital, Larkana.

In the first instance, Jawed Maseeh's wife, Ambreen, and their daughter, 11-year-old Honey, died after allegedly eating poisonous food. Their two other daughters, nine-year-old Pami and seven-year-old Mano, were referred to Karachi for treatment. Upon receiving medical aid at Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre, the Larkana police recorded their statements.

Market police SHO Sadoro Khan Lashari, who recorded the girls' statements at the hospital on Sunday, said their mother gave them a medicine 'to help them sleep better' after having dinner on Friday, following which they reportedly fainted and have no memory of what happened till they regained consciousness.

The family had recently come to Larkana from Lahore to get Ambreen treated for a mental illness. They were staying at the house of Pakistan Peoples Party Larkana president Mazhar Ali Junejo in Jaral Shah Muhalla, who is reportedly a family friend. He could not be reached for comments despite repeated attempts.

After the incident, Market police arrested Jawed and also confiscated the biryani and drinks from the house that were consumed for dinner that day. Jawed told the police the entire family ate the food but he was not affected. He insisted that his wife added poison in the biryani to kill herself and their daughters.

According to Larkana City SP Tauqeer Naeem, investigations are under way, and the resolution of the case depends upon the chemical examination of medical samples of victims sent to a chemical laboratory in Rohri to determine the cause of deaths.

'Intoxicated and molested'

In the second incident, two teenaged boys, Naveed Kumbhar and Kashif Magsi, were brought in unconscious condition to the hospital. Both worked at an echo-sound shop in Gajanpur Mohalla and had gone home to Zakrio Mahesar village to perform at a wedding. Magsi died during treatment while Kumbhar is still unconscious.

Magsi's uncle, Ahmed Ali, and Kumbhar's father, Nizamuddin, told the media the boys were intoxicated and molested. The police have arrested Ghulam Abbas Malgani, who booked their services for the wedding, and Farid Mangrio, the owner of the shop where the victims worked.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 11^th,  2016.