Domestic worker files for bail in Hina Javed murder case

RAWALPINDI:

Zeeshan Arshad, son of Mahmood Arshad, an employee and suspect in the murder case of digital designer Hina Javed, filed a bail application before an Islamabad sessions court on Thursday, declaring himself innocent.

Hina was found dead at her in-laws’ home on August 20 after her father-in-law reportedly informed police that burglars had entered the house. Police found her body tied to a shower in the bathroom, with her hands bound behind her back. The circumstances surrounding her death prompted police to register a murder case and arrest her husband, Faisal Asghar, and domestic worker Arshad.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Naseer Ahmed admitted the bail application for hearing and issued notices to the station house officer (SHO) of the Civil Lines Police Station and the investigating officer, seeking the complete case record and investigation report on September 11.

In his bail petition, the suspect denied involvement in the murder and contended that the allegations levelled against him in the FIR were completely false and that he had nothing to do with the incident.

He said that he was mentally incapable of committing such a serious crime and requested that he be granted bail.

He stated that he would continue appearing before the court until a decision was reached in the case.

He was accused of joining hands with his employer, the deceased’s husband, Asghar, in torturing the victim, putting a wire around her neck and strangling her to death before hanging her body in the washroom shower.

Civil Lines police registered the case on August 20.

Case developments

Hina was allegedly killed by her husband in connivance with his father and an employee. A preliminary post-mortem report found a fracture to a neck bone and injuries to Hina's ribs and hip. Samples, including those required for DNA analysis, were sent to a forensic laboratory.

Police said the precise cause of death remained unestablished until the issuance of complete post-mortem and forensic reports.

A special investigation team took Asghar and Arshad to Lahore under tight security on August 25. Their samples were submitted to the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) for DNA and polygraph examinations.

Meanwhile, police sources drew attention to old YouTube lectures by Asghar, who reportedly taught corporate communication at several universities. In one lecture, he asked a student why a husband might shoot his wife and discussed hypothetical scenarios involving marital relationships, infidelity and financial motives.

According to police sources, domestic worker Arshad gave three different statements from the time he was taken into custody until the formal investigation. In his first statement, Arshad claimed that Hina was killed according to a plan in collaboration with Asghar.

Read: Hina Javed murder: Domestic worker confesses to crime, police say

In his second statement, he claimed responsibility for the murder. However, during the formal police investigation, Arshad allegedly recorded a third statement, saying he had been called during a quarrel between the husband and wife.

According to police sources, Arshad also revealed that Hina resisted and tried to run away to save her life, after which both men caught her. During her resistance, she was allegedly strangled.

According to police sources, the investigation into Hina's murder was not limited to her husband and domestic worker, and inquiries were being conducted from various angles. Police were also examining whether domestic worker Arshad killed Hina after she allegedly saw him stealing money or other items from the house.

According to sources, Arshad used to sleep in a portion of the house occupied by Hina and other family members. He had also been accused of stealing Hina's purse, cash and other items from the house.

Police were investigating whether Arshad killed Hina out of fear that his alleged theft would be discovered. However, according to police sources, another question being examined was whether, if only one person was involved in the murder, he could have moved the body alone to the bathroom and hung it from the shower.

On September 1, the investigation team recovered the alleged murder weapon, a screwdriver, from the possession of suspect and employee Arshad during a 10-day inquiry.

The team also recovered the nikahnamas of both wives of the main suspect along with the divorce deed of his first wife, Iram Zaib.

On September 3, Civil Judge Adil Sarwar Sial sent Asghar and Arshad to Adiala Jail on a 14-day judicial remand in the murder case.

Read More: Hina Javed murder probe expands

The court ordered that the challan be completed within two weeks and both suspects, along with the challan, be produced before the court on September 16.

On September 6, Arshad, who remained in police custody on a 10-day physical remand, was sent on judicial remand.

Sources said the special investigation team had started recording separate statements of police officers, personnel and others.