Cops yet to make headway in TikTokers’ killings

Prime suspect accused of attempted rape last summer

Despite raids conducted to apprehend the two prime suspects, no arrests could be made by Wednesday night with regards to the killings of four TikTokers early Tuesday morning.

Based on an FIR lodged on June 20 last year on the complaint of one of the slain TikTokers, Muskan Shaikh, the police launched the search for two suspects, namely Abdur Rehman and his friend Qaiser Tanoli alias Qaiser Bengali.

According to police, TikTok star Muskan's real name was Ruqqayia, daughter of Mehboob Ali. Last summer Muskan had lodged a complaint pertaining to attempted rape and torture at Quaidabad Police Station.

In her complaint, Muskan had stated that on June 20, the power supply in her area was suspended and the main door of the house was open. Abdul Rehman alias Sheera, a local thug, and his accomplice Qaiser Tanoli barged into her house and attempted to rape her on gunpoint. When she resisted, Rehman and his accomplice beat her and threatened to kill her.

Read: Four TikTokers shot dead in Karachi's Garden area

When the police dug up past criminal records of Rehman and his companions they found at least 33 criminal cases lodged against them.

According to police records, five cases pertaining to attempt to murder, police encounter and the anti-terrorism act are lodged against Rehman while 11 cases are lodged against Qaiser Tanoli and 17 other cases are registered against other companions of Rehman.

A special police team has reportedly been formed to probe the murders of Muskan and other TikTokers Amir Khan, Saddam Hussain and Amir Khan while the police team has also obtained the call data of the deceased.

In the CCTV footage acquired by the police, a man inside the rickshaw near the TikTokers' car can be seen fleeing after hearing the gunshots. The police believe that the case appears to be one of personal enmity as the four were travelling in a car and were first chased and then killed by gunmen.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 4^th, 2021.