Police book employer for maid's death in Karachi

Maria's father challenged claims that she had committed suicide

KARACHI:

The body of a teenaged housemaid was found in a bungalow in Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Phase VI. The Darakhshan police registered a case of murder, although the incident was initially projected as a suicide. However, the victim's father, Heera, contested this claim, insisting that his daughter was murdered.

The 16-year-old victim, identified as Paria alias Maria, was found hanging from a ceiling fan with a noose around her neck inside the bungalow situated on Khayaban-e-Bukhari. The body was shifted to hospital where it was handed over to the grieving family after a post-mortem examination and other medico-legal formalities.

While the initial investigation leaned towards suicide, a case of murder was finally registered at the Darakhshan police station on the complaint of Heera, the victim's father.

Recounting the events leading up to his daughter's death, Heera revealed that Paria had been employed at the bungalow for the past 10 months and had seemingly been in good spirits. On May 12, at around 2pm, she had spoken to her family for nearly half an hour, showing no signs of distress. Later that day, Shahroz, the son of her employer, called Heera, informing him of his daughter's alleged suicide.

After receiving the distressing news, Heera called up his brother, Ramesh, who lives in Mehmoodabad, asking him to rush to the bungalow. By the time Heera reached Karachi, Paria's body had already been shifted to JPMC.

According to Heera's account, Ramesh found a chaotic scene at the bungalow, with the owners claiming that Paria had taken her own life by hanging herself from the ceiling fan. However, Heera refuted this claim, asserting that his daughter had shown no signs of distress during their last conversation.

He asserted that the responsibility for his daughter's safety lay with her employer and expressed strong suspicions regarding the circumstances of her death. He urged authorities to investigate the matter and bring those responsible for his daughter's death to justice.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2024.