Man accused of killing daughter

Parents were fighting over custody of infant

GUJRAT:

A murder case has been registered against a man, his father and mother. The complainant had accused the man of killing his nine-month-old daughter.

The deceased Noor Fatima’s estranged parents, Sufyan and Javeria, residents of Dharowal village within the limits of Kunjah Police Station, had gotten separated 15 days ago.

Sufyan kept the infant at his parent’s home instead of letting her mother take the child with her.

Javeria had been adamant that the child belonged to her and that her husband must hand Noor Fatima over to her. On the other hand Sufyan didn’t have the slightest intention of giving in to her estranged wife’s demand.

Javeria, nevertheless, pursued the custody of her child at all costs and demanded of her husband to give the child to her without much ado.

While Javeria had been hoping that her demand would be met soon, little did she anticipate that a bombshell would be dropped on her.

A relative of hers informed Javeria that her child was no more, leaving the unfortunate mother totally shell-shocked.

Javeria and her relative were not prepared to accept it as a natural death.

They soon contacted the police.

Kunjah Police Station opened their investigation into the matter after registering a case of murder against Sufyan, his father Muhammad Yousuf, and mother Jiya Bibi, on the complaint of the infant’s maternal grandfather, Muhammad Nawaz.

According to SHO Raja Ehsan, preliminary investigation indicated that the girl’s death occurred due to “blockage of the respiratory tract while drinking milk”.

However, the actual facts would be known only after the postmortem report.

Just a day ago, two children escaped being burnt to death by their mother in Dijkot.

Zubeda Bibi, who lived in a small village, had had no means of survival. She was broke and could not find food for her children who cried for food but there was nothing Zubeda Bibi could do, people who lived in the same village said.

The situation was so grave that it pushed Zubeda Bibi into the depth of desperation. Her desperation led her to the solution that only death could bring solace to her children and herself.

Zubeda Bibi decided to end it once and for all. On the day of the incident she confined her daughter and her seven-year-old son Naveed in a room where she started a fire to burn themselves to death.

The starving children began yelling as they began to feel the ire of the flames.

The children began shouting for help at the top of their voice.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1^st, 2023.