Child's brutal rape, murder shakes the city

Suspects detained for investigation as police chief forms high-level committee

KARACHI:

In a horrifying incident that has sent shockwaves through the Quaidabad area of Malir district, a three-year-old girl was found dead inside a sack near her home on Wednesday, after being sexually assaulted and murdered.

The victim, identified as K*, a resident of Muslimabad Colony, went missing around 12pm on Tuesday while playing outside her residence. Her father told The Express Tribune that the family launched a frantic search of the neighbourhood, which culminated in a tragic discovery in the evening when they found her body stuffed in a sack at a street corner close to their house.

Police shifted the body to a nearby hospital for medico-legal formalities. Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya confirmed the occurrence of sexual assault, stating that the exact cause of death would be ascertained upon receipt of the chemical examination report.

Taking notice of the brutal crime, Provincial Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar has directed the police to employ modern scientific methods to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice expeditiously.

In response, IG Sindh Ghulam Nabi Memon has constituted a high-level investigation committee, spearheaded by the DIG East.

The committee includes the SSPs of the Special Investigation Unit (SIU), District Malir, and Special Branch, alongside other investigation SPs and DSPs. According to official sources, the team has been tasked with submitting daily progress reports to the provincial police chief.

Investigators are currently recording statements from local residents, vendors, and shopkeepers to piece together the toddler's final moments.

Police sources suggest that the assault and murder likely occurred in close proximity to the victim's home. Consequently, police personnel have conducted searches of specific houses in the street and have collected the credentials of residents for further scrutiny.

A police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that the sack and the location of the body indicate that the suspect is likely someone familiar with the area.

"We are scrutinising every individual present in the vicinity at the time of the incident," the official added.

According to police sources, multiple human hair samples and several DNA traces were recovered from the child's clothing during the post-mortem examination. The evidence has been preserved for forensic analysis.

Police sources further revealed that signs of resistance were found on various parts of the child's body, raising suspicions that more than one person may have been involved in the crime.

Authorities confirmed that several suspects have been taken into custody, and blood samples along with other specimens are being collected to help establish the facts surrounding the incident.

* victim's identity withheld for ethical reasons