The Homicide Investigation Unit (HIU) of the Punjab Police has taken over the investigation into the alleged rape and killing of an inmate at the Adiala Central Prison.
According to prison sources, investigators initiated the probe at the crime scene in Cell No 2 of Adiala Jail's Chakki No 10.
34-year-old Sabeel Karamat was found unconscious inside the cell he shared with fellow prisoners late on Sunday night. He was treated for breathing problems at the jail hospital but he couldn’t survive.
Prison authorities later alleged he was raped and strangulated to death.
Sources also said as part of the process, the affected barracks have been vacated, and security measures heightened. Eyewitnesses to the incident have been relocated to ensure their safety.
Read Inmate’s rape, killing shocks Adiala
Meanwhile, the HIU has approached a local court seeking permission for the exhumation of the deceased’s body to substantiate the rape allegations.
On the court’s orders, medical experts with the assistance of local police will exhume the victim’s body and collect samples to send them to Lahore Forensic Laboratory for DNA testing.
The investigation team, utilising a mobile forensic laboratory, gathered crucial evidence from the crime scene, including the cloth used to strangle the victim. Fingerprints of all the accused, identified as Waqas, Asif, Naqash, and Bilal, have been obtained. Moreover, the sources said HIU is fulfilling procedures to take the suspects into custody, seeking permission from the Punjab Home Department and obtaining written consent from relevant courts.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 5th, 2024.
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