Representational Photo. PHOTO: REUTERS
The fourth-grader went missing after her mother sent her to a local grocery shop in the rural town of Janabad on March 26, according to District Police Officer (DPO) Sajjad Khan.
The girl’s father, who owns a marble factory in the area, searched for his daughter, but couldn’t find any trace – and finally he lodged an FIR with the police.
“We mounted a massive search operation for the girl during which we found a suspicious gunny bag in a sewerage drain, not very far from the girl’s home,” DPO Khan said, adding that the girl’s body was stuffed in the sack.
Once established that the girl was murdered, the police changed the angle of their investigation to get to the killer. “Our investigation on modern lines led to the arrest of the culprit,” the DPO said.
The alleged killer has been identified as Akhtar Hussain who, according to the police, has confessed to his crime. Police officials said Akhtar was an employee at the marble factory of the girl’s father.
Akhtar, who is already married with two wives, lived in the same street as the girl who used to visit his place quite often. Akhtar admitted in his confessional statement that the girl visited his place on March 26 while his wife was not at home.
He confessed to sexually assaulting the girl who, according to the killer, died during the act. Subsequently, he stuffed the body in a gunny sack and dumped it in the drain.
Residents praised the police for arresting the alleged rapist-killer within 24 hours of the grisly crime. They called upon the government to award exemplary punishment to the killer to set deterrence for others.
(Note: Names of the victim has been withheld to protect privacy)
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