Suspected honour killing: Four of a family found dead in ‘murder-suicide’

Man strangles wife and two minor children, then kills self by slashing wrists

LAHORE: Four members of a family were found dead inside their house in Nawab Town on Monday in an apparent murder-suicide case.

Police were called to the crime scene at 7 in the morning by an extended family member and found the victims lying in a pool of blood in their room on the third floor of the house.

Police said preliminary evidence suggested the man committed suicide after strangling his wife and children. The victims were identified as Maalik, 26, his wife Asiya, their daughter Maryam, 5, and 18-month-old son Asif.

The family head, who worked as a security guard, was found in a pool of blood with both wrists slashed. The victim had earlier tried to hang himself as a snapped wire was found tied around his neck and attached to the roof girder. Police said the man also bore slash marks on the neck.

An investigation officer of DSP rank told The Express Tribune that police found a newly bought seven-inch knife, which is normally used for slaughtering animals, from the crime scene.

The man, he added, lived in a three-storey house in Rasool Pura Village with his brothers and parents. All the other family members had gone to Sunder to attend the funeral of their uncle when the murder-suicide took place. The family returned to the house in the morning.

Maalik worked as a security guard at the under-construction Emporium Mall near Expo Centre, Johar Town and reported to work every day at 6am. When he did not come downstairs to go to work, one of the family members went upstairs to call him. Inside the victims were found lying in a pool of blood.

The DSP ruled out the possibility of murder, saying the main gate of the house was locked from inside when the family came home. Despite an extensive three-hour search, the police also did not find any evidence of any person entering the premises from the outside and committing the crime.

Blood stains inside the house suggested the man had struggled to kill himself after murdering his family. He first tried to hang himself from the girder but the wire snapped because of his weight. He then tried to slash his throat but gave up possibly because of intense pain. He also tried to climb over the boundary wall but could not succeed probably because of fear.

Investigators said they were working on different angles but their preliminary investigations suggested the victim doubted the character of his wife and murdered her and his children over ‘honour’.

Mystery prevails

Javed, a first cousin of the victim, said the family hailed from Pattoki and owned the property in Nawab Town. Maalik ran a lumber mill but suffered losses a few months ago. He gave up the business and joined a security company as a guard.

He told The Express Tribune the man married his cousin Asiya about 10 years ago. Her in-laws also lived near his house in Nawab Town. “My cousin was heir to a property worth millions of rupees. He was not a poor man,” Javed said, ruling out the possibility of committing suicide because of financial issues.

The victim’s father said the couple had been living happily and never had a dispute. Maalik was a thorough gentleman and had no enmity with anyone, the relatives claimed.

Grief in neighbourhood

The tragic incident created grief in the neighbourhood as hundreds of people living nearby came to the house to mourn the deaths. The family members kept on weeping and crying out loud throughout the day.

Senior police officers, including the Lahore CCPO, DIG Investigations, DIG Operations, SSP Investigations and Operations, and several superintendents also visited the crime scene.

SP Saddar Investigations Atif Nazeer said it was premature to say if it was a murder or suicide. The matter would be decided after thorough investigations.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 19^th, 2016.