KARACHI: Police on Thursday claimed to have arrested the main suspect, along with his alleged accomplice, in the Feb 27 kidnapping, rape and murder case of a minor girl, whose trussed up body was found thrown into a drain in Steel Town on Wednesday evening.

The incident had triggered hours-long protest by residents of the area and activists of various political parties and national groups who blocked the nearby section of the National Highway till late Wednesday night.

The girl aged around five-six years had gone missing on Feb 27 after leaving her home to buy something in her Data Nagar neighbourhood of Bin Qasim Town.

Malir SSP (Investigation) Kamran Khan told Dawn that the Bin Qasim Town police had registered the FIR of the girl’s disappearance on the complaint of her father, who stated that he had left his home by his taxi for livelihood as per his daily routine on Monday morning. He stated that his wife contacted him by phone to tell him that their daughter had left the home to buy some eatables from a shop within the neighbourhood at 8am but did not return in the next several hours. He stated that his wife mounted a search and later he also returned home to join her but they failed to located their daughter.

He apprehended that his daughter might have been kidnapped. On Wednesday evening, the girl’s body was found thrown into a drain.

Highway blocked

A large number of local residents and activists of different political parties and nationalist groups took to the streets and blocked the nearby section of the National Highway at Steel Town roundabout for about four hours. They demanded immediate arrest of the kidnappers and killers of the girl. The protesters, including local PTI leader Dr Mansoor Siyal, placed burning tryes and junk in the middle of the road to block the highway for about four hours.

Malir SSP Hassan Sardar held talks with the protesters and assured them of an early arrest of the culprits.

On Thursday, SSP Hassan Sardar told media that the police had arrested the suspect, Intizar Husain (a painter by profession who originally hailed from Layyah, Punjab) and his alleged accomplice, Allah Rakha, who also hailed from Layyah.

The SSP said the suspects kidnapped the girl. Intizar subjected her to rape and strangulated her to death before they threw the body into the drain.

SSP (Investigation) Kamran Khan told Dawn that some witnesses had told the police that they had seen two men throwing the body into the drain. With the help of the witnesses, the police traced out and detained the suspects, he added.

SSP Sardar said some suspects had been detained and more would be held for interrogation.

Autopsy

“The body of a minor girl found with hands and feet tied around 48-hour-old was brought to the JPMC on Wednesday night,” said police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed. She said physical findings showed violent rape with possibility of gang-rape.

Meanwhile, PTI Karachi president Aftab Siddiqui condemned the incident and said the police should have taken swift action but showed lethargy.

Chief Minister’s Special Assistant for Malir affairs Salman Abdullah Murad, condemning the girl’s murder, directed Malir’s SSPs of operation and investigation wings for immediate arrest of the culprits.

“We regret the brutal murder of the minor girl and share the sorrows of the family,” said Mr Salman. He said the Sindh government would provide active support to the victim’s family.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2023