Law and order: Robbery, murder accused arrested

The man had stabbed a 19-year-old girl and her brothers in a house robbery.

FAISALABAD: Police claimed on Monday to have arrested a man accused of killing a girl in a house robbery.

City Police Officer (CPO) Sohail Habib Tajik told newsmen that an armed man had forced entry into a house in Mohallah Mustafabad on Sargodha Road on November 29. He took away Rs8,000, a laptop and a mobile phone.

The CPO said when people put up resistance and tried to overpower him, he attacked 19-year-old Gulrukh and her brothers Gulraiz and Gulzaib with a dagger and fled.

The injured were taken to Allied Hospital for treatment where Gulrukh died. Doctors later said Gulraiz and Gulzaib were in a stable condition.

The CPO said there were fears that the family had been targeted on sectarian grounds. He said an investigation team comprising Sargodha Road ASP Ameer Saood, Sub Inspector Imran Mannan, Investigation Asghar Ali in-charge and Sub Inspector Shahid Sarwar was set up to find and arrest the suspect.

He said during the investigation, it was discovered that the robber had escaped via rooftops.

The CPO said police had asked Asrar Ahmad and his family, neighbours of the affected family, to join the investigation.

“During interrogation, Ahmad told police Zahid alias Billo, a resident of Street 7 Mustafabad had jumped into their house and had forced them to unlock the main gate of the house to escape,” he said.

The CPO said he threatened to kill the family if they did not let him escape.

He said police conducted various raids in the area and arrested Zahid within two days of the incident.

He said Zahid confessed to the offence and handed over the dagger he used.

Police also recovered cash and stolen mobile phones.

Zahid told police he had not intended to attack the family.

“If they had let me go, I would not have attacked them,” he said.  The CPO announced cash prize of Rs10,000 and appreciation letters for the team.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 2^nd, 2014.