Cause of ‘murder-cum-suicide’ incident boils down to poverty

Police interrogates landlord of Atiqur Rahman, but he doesn’t have anything new to add


Our Correspondent August 12, 2022

KURIANWALA:

Police have interrogated the landlord of Rana Atiqur Rahman, who had committed suicide after allegedly killing his two daughters on Wednesday.

The landlord, Usman, told the police that he had rented his house to Rana Atiqur Rahman against Rs18,000 a month, and the latter had owed the former Rs145,900 on account of unpaid rent.

Meanwhile, Rana Atiqur Rahman and has daughters were buried in Islamnagar Jail Road graveyard in the presence of hundreds of mourners on Thursday.

Sargodha Road Police have registered a case under the provisions of double-murder against the man on the complaint filed by Sajjad Hussain Munshi, a brother of Rana Atiqur Rehman. As per the case FIR, the complainant told the police he was informed by phone by one Noorul Iman that his brother Rana Atiqur Rahman had killed his daughters, 17-year old Alishba and 11-year old Zainab, with knives and then hung himself to death.

When the brother of the deceased reached the spot, he saw Rana Atiqur Rahman hanging from a fan in the TV lounge of his rented house.

The complainant said he found his two nieces in separate beds in in another room with their bodies soaked in blood. The funeral prayers of the three were offered at the Shahi graveyard in Islamnagar.

The deceased, Rana Atiqur Rehman, was reportedly desperate because of poverty and unable to pay his house rent. A large number of villagers gathered at the spot after the news of the murders and suicide spread in the area on Wednesday.

He wrote on a paper with blood that he had killed his daughters with a knife. He had to pay the rent to the owner of the house, Usman, due to which he was very worried.

He was frustrated over not having a job after the death of his wife. The incident was revealed when Noor Iman visited the home of the victims. He informed the helpline 15.

Madina Town SP Muhammad Nabeel and other police officers collected evidence from the spot with the help of a forensics team.

A large number of people from nearby as well as other localities gathered at the spot after hearing about the incident.

According to neighbours, Atiq's 45-year-old wife Zarina had died six months ago due to lack of treatment for diabetes. He had failed to find a job despite trying for a long time. They said several power looms and textile mill units had been shut recently due to rising energy cost, leaving a number of people unemployed.

Sargodha Road Police Station SHO Hamad Yusuf told The Express Tribune that Rana Atiq belonged to Rabwah in Chiniot district and had lived in the house for 20 years.

Atiq's daughters worked at homes of people to bear the household expenses. Atiqur Rahman was dismissed from his job in a company during the coronavirus epidemic.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 12th, 2022.

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