Accident or murder?: Death of teenage girl baffles investigators

Burn victim passes away as officials fail to make headway.

KARACHI: The death of a teenage girl remained unsolved as investigating police officials failed to determine whether her death was a murder or an accident.

Fourteen-year-old Ayesha was admitted to the Burns Ward of Civil hospital on November 10 after suffering from major burn wounds and succumbed to her injuries during treatment on November 16. Despite failing to ascertain if the incident was a criminal act, the police have arrested head constable Tariq, who had adopted Ayesha, as he could not have his own child.

An FIR was registered on November 19 on behalf of the state against Tariq, who has been accused of sections 302 (murder), 324 (attempt to murder) and 201/34 (covering up a murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code. He was posted to the city courts police and will remain in police remand till November 26.

The investigating officer, inspector Nazar Abbas, informed The Express Tribune that police are still trying to determine whether the incident was an accident or a murder since no concrete evidence to support either scenarios have been found. Abbas added that Tariq denied the alleged charges and informed the police that he was not at home when the incident took place.

Ayesha was taken to the hospital by neighbours who had found her ablaze, Abbas stated. “I recorded the statement of the neighbours, who stated that no one else was present in the house except for Ayesha,” the officer said, revealing his confusion over police actions. “I am still trying to understand why the operational police registered a case against Tariq despite the lack of any proof and why they waited for nine days before registering the case.” Abbas was unable to reveal any further details about the incident as investigations are still underway.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23^rd, 2013.