Mehndi artist raped, strangled to death in Karachi

This is the second rape and murder case recorded in the city this year

KARACHI: A teenage girl, who worked as a mehndi artist, was found dead from the outskirts of the metropolis on Wednesday, who was subjected to rape before being strangled to death.

Body of the 17-year-old girl, S*, who was a resident of Khawaja Ajmer Nagri, was found from an under-construction plot at Sector 4-D in Surjani Town at around 11am. "The people informed us when they found the body," Surjani police station DSP Sohrab Meo told The Express Tribune. The police reached the site and shifted the body to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for an autopsy, he added.

The victim went missing on Tuesday afternoon, when she left the beauty parlour near her residence, where she worked, the officer said. "She left the parlour at around 12:30pm on Tuesday and since then she was missing," the DSP added.



The family had approached the Khawaja Ajmair Nagri police station when she did not return home by Tuesday evening but the family and the police were unable to find her. The officer, while quoting the initial investigation, said that the girl was apparently strangled to death with her own dupatta, which was also found from the crime scene. The DSP believed that the girl was killed late on Tuesday night.

The police was able to identify the girl with the help of her mobile phone, which was found next to the body. The family told the police that they do not have any doubt on anyone. However, the police suspect that any relative or neighbour might be behind the incident.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, police surgeon Dr Aijaz Ahmed Khokhar confirmed that the girl was raped before she was strangled with her dupatta.

He said that the samples have been collected for the laboratory, to ascertain whether the girl was subjected to gang raped. The report will come in at least a week, he added.



The body has been handed over to the family for burial. A case has yet to be registered because according to the police, the family is in shock and busy in funeral process, while the case will be registered when the family will approach the police. Meanwhile, the police said no arrests were made.

This is the second such incident that has taken place in the city in last few weeks. Earlier, a minor girl was subjected to rape and severely torture and later on dumped in Korangi locality with her throat cut. The police have yet to trace and arrest the culprits.

*Name withheld to protect identity

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2^nd, 2017.