Kidnapped girl’s burnt body found

Marwa, 5, went missing after going to a shop Friday morning in Karachi

KARACHI:

The burnt body of a five-year-old girl was found wrapped in a cloth on the property of a former milk plant in Essa Nagri late Saturday night. Meanwhile, the person who informed the police about the body was informed on the basis of suspicion.

A police team led by PIB Colony SHO Shakir shifted the body to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre. According to the police, the child, Marwa, was the daughter of a rickshaw driver, Omar Sadiq.

Sadiq stated that Marwa had gone to a nearby shop on Friday morning but failed to return home. He added that when the family began searching for her, the shopkeeper told them she had visited his store and bought what she wanted before leaving.

The family reportedly announced Marwa’s disappearance in the area mosque and put up posters in the area as well. They later filed a complaint at the PIB Colony police station on Saturday evening.

According to Sadiq, Marwa’s body was found later the same night and was identified through her clothes.

Marwa’s grandfather added that they had no prior enmity with anyone, as he appealed to the authorities to solve the case and then arrest and penalise the culprit as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the police said the murderer had set Marwa’s body on fire in an attempt to hide her identity. They added that more evidence would emerge after the post-mortem.

The deceased was laid to rest on Sunday afternoon. Later, area residents staged a peaceful protest at University Road, disrupting the flow of traffic for six hours as they demanded that the murderer be arrested as soon as possible.

While the police told them a suspect had already been arrested, they refused to disperse until senior police and Rangers officials assured them of legal action. Giving an ultimatum of three days for the culprit’s arrest, the protesters agreed to end the demonstration.