Adeel-Tatla case: Zodiac killer leaves police confused

Suspect uses ‘dodging and distraction technique’ to mislead investigators

LAHORE: Amid mysterious silence of Lahore Police top investigators over the whereabouts of the missing SSP Mufakhar Adeel and his close friend, the former law officer Shahbaz Tatla case, the bits of the investigations ferreted out by the media are clearly indicating that it is a crime of passion.

A mutual friend of both, Adeel and Tatla, reportedly in police custody has pointed that the SSP murdered the later. A police officer has confirmed to The Express Tribune that the cases of both men were closely linked and they had developed a dispute over a woman.

Lahore Investigations Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Zeeshan Asghar told The Express Tribune that whatever was being circulated was mere “speculations”. He said they would share the detail of the investigation with media and public in a day or two.

An investigator told The Express Tribune that the prime suspect was not only showing the signs of “Zodiac Killer” but had also used his professional experience - postings in the police department, the Federal Investigations Agency (FIA) and other, to cover up his act.

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At one point, he has used “distraction” as an approach to strengthen his defence in future, on the other hand, he has left indications suggesting what he had committed.

Zodiac Killer signs

Zodiac killer is reportedly a pseudo name for an unidentified killer used in the United States in the 60s and 70s. The serial killer used to write to the newspapers to inform them about his crimes.

Lahore-based serial killer, Javed Iqbal, after reportedly murdering over 100 children, had appeared before the police high-ups to confess his crime. When dispelled by the police, he approached a national Urdu newspaper. Iqbal reportedly had left a few partially dissolved body parts, acid, drum and other things as a piece of evidence for the police.

The prime suspect of the Adeel-Tatla case reportedly had managed to clean the house in such a manner that no feasible forensic pieces of evidence could be found despite a repeated search by Punjab Forensic Science Agency and investigations teams.

Leaving the drum is a deliberate attempt to leave an indication for the intended audience what he had done.

The investigator added that the suspect rented the house only for ten days in which the bid was completed. He went missing on February 11. It is also a hint left by the suspect, another typical zodiac killer sign.

The dodging technique

Another investigator told The Express Tribune that they had found pieces of burnt and rotten meat from the house. The foul smell was emanating from these leftovers when reached by police. He added that cleaning of the house with water and leaving such pieces of evidence was nothing but a deliberate move of “dodge and distraction technique” to cover up the crime.

A few people linked to Adeel had tried to spread rumours that Adeel had left for a “special mission”. It is also another possible distraction.

The suspect was well-aware of the procedure of police investigations and criminal proceedings in court due to his professional experience. If Tatla had been murdered, police could not recover the body, the weapon and there was nothing, including call records, other than eye-witnesses account that could connect Shahbaz with the episode. This may prove beneficial for the suspect in his defence in future.

The investigator added that they were also considering if he had left the country. He added that Mufakhar had worked in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Gujranwala. An overwhelming number of cases of human trafficking in Pakistan were reported at that station (Gujrat, Gujranwala, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot etc). He added that the suspect might be well aware of the routes and working of human traffickers but also would have developed connections. The human traffickers of that area would use the Balochistan border to enter Iran. From Iran, they would try to traffic humans to Europe via Turkey.

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Crime of passion

The investigator further said that the prime suspect SSP was so resourceful and connected that eliminating his friend through another means was not an impossible task for him. The suspected murder of Tatla, and in such a brutal manner, clearly indicated that it was a crime of passion. He added his reported direct involvement in the incident also substantiated the angle. In the crime of passion, lack of empathy as well as a vent of grudge through brutal means were the indications.

Why SSP Mufakhar Adeel is a prime suspect?

The investigator said the mysterious disappearance of Adeel in the wake of alleged abduction of his close friend and Lahore Police’s not registering an FIR despite the passing of so many days, statement of a mutual friend before the police and reported activities of both made him the prime suspect. 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 20^th, 2020.