ABBOTTABAD: Even 20 days after the rape and murder of three-year-old girl in Havelian, the police are clueless about the culprits.

Officials said the police had collected blood samples from over 300 people, including the girl’s family members, and sent them to the lab for DNA testing.

They added that the lab reports of almost 80 per cent samples had been received but the culprits had yet to be identified.

The girl had gone missing on Dec 25 and was found dead near her house next day.

The officials said investigation agencies were helping the police investigate the case.

An investigator claimed that the police awaited the arrival of the reports of all DNA samples to reach the culprit.

He said a search had also been launched for the residents missing since the incident occurred.

Soon after the girl’s rape and murder was reported, KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and other senior government officials issued orders for the formation of special teams headed by senior police officials to probe the case.

Also, rallies were staged by civil society members, religious parties and NGOs to condemn the incident and arrest culprits.

Speaker of the provincial assembly Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani and provincial ministers Shaukat Yousafzai and Qalandar Khan Lodhi visited the girl’s house and assured her family of speedy action by the police and law-enforcement agencies against the culprits.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2019