Police arrest 'serial child rapist' in Karachi

Five rape cases confirmed, DNA reports of 20 other cases pending, say police officers

KARACHI: Police claimed on Tuesday to have arrested a serial rapist during a raid conducted in District Malir.

The arrest of the alleged serial rapist, identified as Amjad Ali, was disclosed during a press conference by East police chief DIG Zulfiqar Larik at his office. Malir SSP Adeel Chandio and Malir Investigations SP Abid Qaimkhani were also present at the press conference.

The police officers claimed that the accused was so far involved in at least five rape cases. "DNA reports have confirmed his involvement in five cases of rape with minor girls," claimed DIG Larik. "We are also awaiting the DNA reports of at least 20 more [children subjected to rape] and we suspect that the same rapist is involved in these cases."

According to DIG Larik, a special team headed by SP Qaimkhani was formed following frequent complaints about sexual assaults on minor girls in parts of District Malir in the last few years. The five cases which had so far been investigated were registered at different police stations of District Malir including Quaidabad, Shah Latif and Sukkun between 2015 and 2018 and the girls who were subjected to rape were between seven and nine years old, the officer said.



DIG Larik also claimed that the suspect sexually assaulted minor girls only on Friday and there were only certain locations where he committed the crime. He was involved in child rape for the last five years, the officer said.

SP Qaimkhani informed the media that the investigation team conducted victims' DNA tests from the forensic department's laboratory at the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro. "The DNA test reports confirmed that the same rapist was involved in all the five cases," he explained. "We initiated our further investigations following the DNA test reports. We obtained CCTV [closed-circuit television] footage and National Database and Registration Authority's record and [also took help] from the victims and their parents."

The police made the suspect's sketch to expedite his arrest, SP Qaimkhani said. The suspect was arrested during a raid with the help of an informer. The police sent his DNA sample to the laboratory where it was confirmed that he was the serial rapist, the officer said, adding that Ali hailed from Punjab and was working at a garment factory for the last five years.

The SP also claimed that the police had sent DNA samples of multiple suspects to the laboratory before Ali's arrest.

Police officials also claimed to have recovered at least five mobile phones and ten SIM cards of various cellular companies from his possession. During interrogation, the accused told the police that he had two bank accounts as well as ATM and credit cards.



A forensic test of the mobile phones recovered from the suspect's possession was also being conducted to get any possible illicit video clips, the officers said.

Sindh Inspector-General of Police Allah Dino Khowaja announced Rs500,000 reward money for the police team that arrested the accused.

The police are also compiling data of all rape cases in District East and Malir to ascertain the total number of such cases. The suspect reportedly has also connections with street criminals and he is being interrogated in this regard as well. Further investigations are under way.