Rape-murder case: SC directs lower court to complete trial within 30 days

Shows satisfaction with investigation; both suspects sent on remand.

RAWALPINDI:

The country’s top court on Monday gave a lower court judge 30 days to complete the trial of the rape and murder of a girl.

Expressing satisfaction over the investigation into the case, a Supreme Court bench disposed of the suo motu notice taken by the top judge after the charred body of an 11-year-old girl was found from a drain in Sector I-9 on February 19.

On February 18, the SC chief justice had taken suo motu notice of the murder of the girl and directed the capital police chief to supervise the investigation and submit a comprehensive report.

The IGP made appalling revelations before the three-judge bench comprising of CJ Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, about the criminal history of the main accused.

The police chief said the main accused, Qamar* had confessed to his involvement in four other cases of rape and attempted rape, including the daughter of a senior police officer.

The accused, an MBA degree holder, with the abetment of his girlfriend, Maha* had kidnapped, raped and murdered Sehr*, a resident of Bhara Kahu, and burnt her body before disposing of it in a drain.

The IGP informed the bench that the accused was arrested on February 22 after his link with Maha, the victim’s tutor, was established by tracking her cell phone logs.

The arrested man had also confessed to have raping and strangulating the daughter of a superintendent of the capital police. However, the SP’s family did not get a case registered about the incident.

He also confessed to the rape of Michelle*, 15, a Christian girl, and Samia*, 20, both of whom were also Maha’s students. Both girls were from Bhara Kahu.

The IGP said investigations had been completed as Maha had confessed to aiding Qamar in trapping and assaulting the girls coming to her house for tuition.

In a related development, Civil Judge Ayesha Shabbir on Monday sent the two suspected killers on judicial remand for 14 days.

On March 1, the district and sessions court East had set free Maha’s father and brother, who were charged with aiding Qamar in the raping and killing the girls. The man and his son had been in police custody for seven days. During the course of hearing, Investigation Office (IO) Mehboob Ali informed the court that investigations had been completed and the accused had also confessed to the crimes.

IGP Bani Amin said the father and brother of the girl were not being investigated further as no evidence was found to suggest they knew anything about Maha’s criminal activities. Both men are government employees.

*Names of the victim and accused changed to protect identity. Additional reporting: Obaid Abbasi

Published in The Express Tribune, March 5^th, 2013.