Crime of passion? Stabbed by ex-husband, woman dies

With suspects already behind bars, police add murder charge to the case

ISLAMABAD: A young woman, who was critically injured after being stabbed by her husband earlier this month, died at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on Saturday.

Police said that Rasooma had allegedly been stabbed multiple times by her husband in Bhara Kahu on March 9.

A police officer said that Faisal and Rasooma had a troubled marriage with a history of domestic violence. While they had been married for a number of years and had three children, Faisal had divorced her.

“The couple lived in Murree. After the divorce, the woman moved into her brother’s home in Bhara Kahu,” the officer told The Express Tribune.

“But her husband came after her and asked her to return with him.”

The officer added that on March 9 when Faisal turned up at the home of Rasooma’s brother Muhammad Zaheer, he was told that he had divorced his wife and that he should leave.

However, Faisal claimed that he had spoken to his ex-wife and forced his way in.

“When the woman [Rasooma] refused [to return with him], he attacked her with a knife and critically injured her,” the officer added.

Rasooma suffered stab wounds to her neck and back. Her brother was also injured when he tried to intervene.

In a video statement which she recorded from her death bed in Pims, the victim said that her husband had stabbed her four times when she refused to go with him since he had already divorced her.

She further said that her husband used to frequently beat her and had divorced her over a petty matter.

Bhara Kahu police had recorded the critically injured victim’s statement and subsequently booked Faisal for attempted murder. Police had also booked Faisal’s nephew Kashif for being an accomplice in the crime.

Police say they had also recovered the murder weapon from the suspect.

After the woman’s death on Saturday, the body was shifted to Polyclinic hospital for autopsy.

Police subsequently added a murder charge to the FIR and handed the case over to the homicide investigation unit.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2017.