Police to be party in child murder case

Probe indicates six-year-old Amna was tortured to death by her aunt

RAWALPINDI:

The Rawalpindi Police have decided to become the complainant in the murder case of a six-year-old child, who died due to alleged torture by her aunt within the limits of the Airport Police Station.

The mother of Amna – the deceased child – was divorced four years ago while her father is said to be suffering from some kind of mental illness.

A police officer while talking to The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity said Amna's uncle Dildar Shah had adopted her from his brother Pir Zaman Shah about four years ago.

Shah – the uncle of the deceased girl who is FA qualified – is also Hafiz-e-Quran who used to give tuition to children at home.

During the investigation of the case, accused Samar Bibi disclosed that before killing the six-year-old girl, she subjected her to severe torture and strangulated the victim with her leg, leaving her unconscious.

The girl's younger uncle Rehman Shah took her to a nearby private hospital where the doctors confirmed that she had died of suffocation [asphyxia].

The police officer said that the husband of accused Samar Bibi moved the dead body of the girl to Islamabad to hide the crime and later buried it in the graveyard of Sector H-11. However, upon realising that the relatives would report the murder to the police, Shah became a complainant by getting the murder case registered at the Airport Police Station by informing the police that his wife had killed the girl.

The police officer said that the girl's uncle had made a complete plan, the aim of which was that he would be the complainant in the murder case and after a few months, as the complainant, he would pardon his wife and secure her release from the court.

On Shah’s complaint, the police registered a case of murder. However, the swift burial of the girl and the process of informing the police after her burial appeared suspicious. At this, the Airport Police apprised their high-ups about the matter.

The police officer further said that when the police investigators questioned both the husband and wife with the permission of their high-ups, the accused spilled the beans.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27^th, 2023.