Police obtain custody of Zeba Burney’s alleged killer

Suspect was a former neighbour of the victim who strangled her with a telephone wire

KARACHI: A judicial magistrate remanded on Monday the suspected murderer of journalist Zeba Burney to police custody for three days and sought a progress report in the investigation on July 6.

The 65-year-old journalist was found dead under mysterious circumstances inside her apartment in Khudadad Colony within the limits of the Brigade police station on the first day of Eidul Fitr. Her housemaid found her body hanging in the flat when she arrived on Eid day and later informed the neighbours and police.

Police presented Kashif Jameel, a former resident of the same apartment complex the journalist lived in, before a District East magistrate and said that the suspect was arrested after his alleged role surfaced in the offense.



The investigation officer told the judge that the suspect broke into Burney’s house and looted cash, jewellery and other valuables before killing her when she offered resistance.

The accused strangled her to death using a telephone wire and later hanged her body to give the impression that she had committed suicide, according to the officer.

Burney had been associated with a local Urdu newspaper for over 30 years. Her husband was also a journalist and died about 15 years ago.