Catching killers: Man arrested for murder of seven family members

Babar allegedly killed his sister, brother-in-law and their five children in their sleep in September.

FAISALABAD:

Police officials have arrested a man, from Faisalabad, who is believed to be behind the murder of seven people in Sadiqabad.

According to police officials, Faisalabad resident Babar is the prime suspect in the killing of seven people including his sister, brother-in-law and their five children in their sleep on September 4. “The murders were allegedly committed over a property dispute and then he escaped,” said Ashar Haroon, a neighbour of the victims.

Police officials said that Babar came to Faisalabad after the murder and stayed at the house of a friend in Mehmoodabad. “He was living here for months and the police had no idea,” said a neighbour. However on Tuesday, police officials received a tip off regarding Babar’s location. “He had begun threatening his host and his family, asking them to give him money. He was blackmailing them and then they told the police,” said a servant at the house.

Sadiqabad police and Gulberg police conducted a joint raid at Mehmoodabad and arrested the accused while he was slaughtering a sacrificial animal on the eve of Eidul Azha.

Police officials said that they had been searching for Babar for months until they received the tip off. “We were searching for him in Bahawalpur because he had family there,” said inspector Haroon Tiwana.

According to reports, Sadiqabad city police have so far arrested five accused out of seven nominated in the murder case while raids are also being conducted for the arrest of two more accused. “Babar was the principle offender because he planned the murder and he was also the one to gain the property,” Tiwana said.

On other h and, accused Babar claimed that the police had caught the wrong person. “I am not involved in the murder of my sister or her family. They are trying to pin this on me instead of catching the real accused,” he said. Babar said that his in-laws were implicating him in the case.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2011.