K-P Police nab prime suspect in eight-year-old's rape, murder case

Suspect reportedly attended the minor's funeral

PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Police arrested prime suspect in the rape and murder of eight-year-old Manahil, DIG Mardan Mohammad Ali Gandapur revealed on Tuesday.

Manahil was reportedly raped and tortured to death in Nowshera. Last week, her body was recovered by the police from a graveyard on Kheshgi Road.

Addressing a press conference, Gandapur said the suspect is a close friend of the minor’s father. The suspect, Yasir, reportedly confessed during the initial investigation.



“After Manahil’s father, Shah Saeed filed a First Information Report (FIR) against unidentified persons, a special investigation team was constituted to probe the case.”

The DIG said the probe team interrogated and collected DNA from 20 suspects. The tests confirmed that Yasir was the culprit.

The main suspect, Gandapur said, also attended Manahil’s funeral.



According to Shah Saeed, Manahil went missing on December 27. Following which he registered a report with the police. He lamented that the police failed to help the family locate their daughter.

A grade three student at a private school, she arrived home on the day of the murder and left for a nearby religious seminary. She did not return home.

“Manahil was sent by the principal of the seminary to his home along with a few other girls to deliver some food, she went missing. We could not find her despite searching for her all night.”