RAWALPINDI: A man suspected of murdering one woman and injuring eight others was remanded into police custody for three days by a judicial magistrate on Sunday.

Mohammad Ali, 19, was produced before the court of Judicial Magistrate Imran Ameer by Morgah police under tight security.

Morgah Station House Officer Insepctor Malik Kausar told Dawn that the suspect has been charged with three counts of attempted murder and one count of murder. The counsel for the suspect opposed the police’s request for remand and claimed his client was innocent, because he had undergone surgery of the spleen and had been advised bed rest by doctors. However, the suspect was remanded to police custody for three days, and will be produced before the court on August 24.

Earlier, the suspect had been in remand custody for four days after he was formally arrested by Morgah police on Tuesday.

Mr Ali previously confessed to attacking women with a kitchen knife. One of his victims, Anum Naz, a 26 year old nurse at the Fauji Foundation Hospital, died after he allegedly stabbed her while she was going to her hostel. Her colleague was also severely injured in the attack.

The suspect lived in the same area where his alleged victims resided. Police said he would disappear after attacking the women because his home was not far away.

He revealed to the police that he would leave his home on Bilal Street in Morgah at around 8pm, and would return two hours later after stabbing women, but did not want to kill anyone. He also disclosed that he would put his weapon back with other kitchen utensils after he returned home.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Farhan Aslam told Dawn that Mr Ali said he felt satisfaction after stabbing women because he “hated” them. He quoted the suspect’s confession as saying that his mother was mistreated by her in-laws and then died from cancer when he was a year old. His confession also said that his father remarried and his stepmother did not treat him well, due to which he lived with his grandfather and aunt in Morgah.

Mr Ali was arrested by a Counter Terrorism Department team after he was stopped at a tandoor in Morgah during a search operation on August 12.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2016