One month after the incident, police finally managed to arrest the accused behind the rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl.
During the investigation, the accused confessed to killing the girl after raping her. Given the seriousness of the matter, police shifted the accused to a special cell for investigation.
According to police sources, the seven-year-old girl was raped by a young man who came to Chak No. 279 RB one month ago. He lured her under the pretext of bringing something to her.
The girl was suffocated to death after the accused placed his hand on her mouth and nose to suppress her screams. After she died, he dumped her body in the bushes before fleeing the scene and going into hiding.
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After the incident was reported, top officers including the Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab, IG Punjab and Chief Secretary Punjab remained in Dijkot for several days.
The City Police Officer formed teams led by police officers including SP CIA Abid Hussain Zafar, DSP Nishatabad Rana Umar Draz, DSP Factory Area Rana Attaur Rehman and former SHO Samanabad Zeeshan Khalid Randhawa. Authorities arrested the accused after a house-to-house search operation.
The arrested accused revealed that he was visiting close relatives in the village and saw the seven-year-old girl playing outside her house near Maghrib.
After luring her, he raped her, upon which she started making noise.
The accused further stated that in order to silence her, he put his hand on his mouth and nose, which suffocated her. Relatives of the murdered girl demanded that the accused should be given strict punishment.
Regional Police Officer (RPO) Dr Abid Khan and City Police Officer (CPO) Muhammad Ali Zia formed teams who were camping in 269 RB for the past week. Although they did not find the accused until Sunday, the police presence led to a reported reduction in crime.
Also read Man allegedly involved in teenage boy's rape, murder arrested
Unfortunately, sexual assaults remain commonplace in Punjab. In March of this year, a married woman was brutally gang-raped by two men in her home in Dijkot.
The incident occurred when the victim was alone at home, and the attackers, identified as Muneer Ahmed and an accomplice, forcibly entered the house and committed the heinous crime.
Also in March, a young girl was gang-raped in Abdullahpur by five people who abducted her and threatened to release a video of her on social media.
The victim’s mother, a resident of Abdullahpur, registered a case with the police after her daughter was abducted while on her way to purchase groceries.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 13th, 2023.
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