RAWALPINDI, Jan 21: A predawn raid to arrest the killers of a couple and their seven-month-old baby proved unproductive as the accused managed to escape.

The police suspect the deceased woman’s family to be involved in the murder as she had married against their wishes and according to police reports the relatives had vowed revenge.

The couple and their daughter were strangulated, on Sunday, in Fauji Colony.

A police team conducted a raid at the woman’s native town, Mandi Bahauddin but the relatives suspected to be involved in the triple-murder managed to escape.

According to Inspector Malik Arshad, leading the investigation, said: “Shortly after the young couple’s murder came to light, police gathered initial information and later sent a team to Mandi Bahauddin to arrest the murder suspects but their homes were found locked and the inmates missing.”

The police are in the process of collecting evidence, which includes mobile phone data, clues from the crime scene, while a laboratory test result is awaited to ascertain whether the couple was sedated before strangulation, said the inspector.

Although according to initial investigations all fingers point towards the woman’s family, as she was receiving threats and her brother was staying with her, before the murder, who has now disappeared, along with other members of the family, said police officials.

After the bodies of the victims were buried in their native town, Mandi Bahauddin, a murder case was registered with the Pirwadhai police station against four close relatives of the deceased woman –two uncles, brother-in-law and brother.

Allah Ditta, elder brother of the deceased man, was melancholic about the whole affair and said: “Nobody has come to us to utter a few words of sympathy. It is unfortunate that my bother, his wife and baby daughter are no longer with us.”

Although the brother said that he felt safe and had received no threats. Important to note that ever since the police raid the woman’s family had gone underground.

“Since my brother and his wife had been strangulated, I have received no threat calls from the family of my brother’s in-laws as they disappeared before the police raids,” said the brother.