Suicide or murder?: Woman, daughter burn to death

Victim's father accuses husband of killing his wife and their daughter.

BAHAWALPUR:

A woman and her two-year-old daughter died shortly after they were taken to Bahawal Victoria Hospital on Sunday with burn injuries. The woman had apparently set herself and her daughter on fire after she came to know about her husband’s second marriage.

Police said Salma had married Abdul Qadir, a resident of Chandia Colony in Taranda Muhammad Panaah three years ago and had a daughter. A few weeks ago, they said, Salma discovered that Qadir had secretly married again. Her family said she had been pressing him to divorce his second wife. On Sunday, police said, Salma locked herself and her daughter in the kitchen and set herself and the child on fire. They were taken to the hospital, where they died in an hour. Doctors said both the woman and the child had 90 per cent burns.

Salma’s father has accused Qadir of killing Salma and their daughter. He alleged that because Salma was not ready to accept Qadir’s other wife, he had killed her and the child. A case has been registered at Taranda Pana police station on the complaint of Salma’s father.

Qadir has denied the allegations. Station House Officer Rana Riaz told The Express Tribune that the bodies had been sent for a post-mortem examination.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th, 2013.