Bloody murder: Five of a family butchered

Police found the five bodies after neighbours said they could smell the rot from their houses.

FAISALABAD:

Five members of the same family including were found slaughtered under mysterious conditions on Sunday. According to police officials a couple, their two daughters and a son were found slaughtered in their house in Raja Chowk of Warispura.

According to investigation officials, the incident occurred in the Batala Colony Police Station precincts on Sunday evening. A potter, Sardar Muhammad settled in a rented house on the second floor of line Warispura near Raja Chowk six months ago. Muhammad brought his family with him and neighbours told police officials that the house had been locked for two days. “We don’t know what happened only that the house was locked for two days and there was a very strong rotting stench spreading. That was when we broke in and found the body,” a neighbour Aleena Sohail said. Locals informed the police and team from Batala Colony police station rushed to the spot. The police broke down the door to the house and found the bodies of Sardar Muhammad, his wife Saleema Bibi, daughters Fariha, 6, Reial, 4, and son Muhammad Ali, 3.  “The bodies were found in a pool of blood. All five of them had been slaughtered and their throats had been slit,” said station house officer (SHO) Malik Muhammad Yaqub.

Police officials have said they suspect more than two people to have been responsible for the crime.
“We have collected DNA samples from the site and sent the evidence to a lab for testing,” he said. “Nearly all the family was beheaded. They had been strangled and brutally beaten,” he added.

From the condition of the bodies, it appeared that the deceased had been slaughtered nearly 48 hours earlier and pool of blood was found in shape of clots indicating that the incidents was took place a few days ago. “The smell was overwhelming and the bodies had begun decomposing,” the SHO said. Muhammad Shafique, brother of deceased Sardar Muhammad told the police that he has four brothers and none of them have any enmity with anyone. “We are poor. My brother was a potter and hardly had any quarrel with anyone. I don’t know why anyone would want him dead,” he said.

Police have taken the bodies into custody and send them to the Allied Hospital mortuary for a post mortem. Police officials have not found any weapons from the site. Regional Police Officer (RPO) Aftab Cheema and other senior police officials also visited the scene of the crime and instructed that the investigation and inquiry be conducted on time. “Evidence is being collected from the scene and then we will proceed to search for the accused,” Cheema said.

SHO Batala Colony Malik Yaqub said a case would be filed following the post mortem report.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15^th, 2011.