KASUR: Forensic specialists on Tuesday confirmed that the DNA sample from accused Imran matches with the sample found from Zainab’s body.
Reportedly, suspect Imran’s DNA sample has matched with those obtained from late Zainab’s body and those collected from bodies of seven other minors namely, Kainat, Laiba, Eman Fatima, Noor Fatima, Tehmina, Ayesha and Asma.
Earlier, police in Kasur on Tuesday claimed to have arrested the man responsible for the heinous rape and murder of seven-year-old Zainab.
The officers said that suspect Imran was Zainab’s neighbor and was detained on a suspicion on January 20, but was later released. The suspect fled to another city and came back after shaving off his beard, they claimed.
Zainab was kidnapped from near her aunt’s house on January 4 in Kasur. Her body was recovered from a garbage heap five days later. The post-mortem of the minor revealed that she had been raped before being murdered.
The suspect Imran who is said to be 24-years-old was familiar with Zainab’s family and would also frequent the minor girl’s house. Imran who is said to be a relative of the deceased and a resident of Kot Road where the young Zainab also resided.
Imran was picked up initially by the police but was let go without testing his DNA after the family intervened and identified him as someone familiar and trusted. After being let go Imran had fled from Kasur and for a short while was residing in Pak Pattan.
On the orders of the District Police Officer (DPO) certain individuals were rounded-up again including Imran and their DNA tests were conducted.
The suspect was picked up five days earlier and interrogated which further confirmed that Imran was, in fact, the perpetrator of the crime. According to police sources, Imran has confessed to his crime.
Additionally sources claim that Imran had shaved his beard after the incident which helped him evade arrest till now as the CCTV footage showed a man sporting a beard. A spokesperson for the Punjab government confirmed that the suspect Imran had been arrested from near Pak Pattan.
According to the spokesperson, a confirmation on the suspect being Zainab’s killer will be given after a detailed DNA report is received. A joint investigation team (JIT) was formed by the Punjab government following the brutal rape and murder of Zainab.
Multan Regional Police Officer DIG Muhammad Idrees was appointed the head of the JIT after Zainab’s father had objected to the previous JIT head. Appearing before the Supreme Court’s Lahore Registry on Sunday, DIG Idrees submitted a progress report and informed the court that Zainab’s was the eighth incident of child abuse in Kasur since June 2015.
The court then gave the JIT 72 hours to present substantial progress in the probe. Zainab was raped and murdered after abducted on January 4. Her body was found from a heap trash on January 9 in Kasur when her parents were in Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah. The guardians complained upon return that late Zainab had gone missing at least five days ago and the police did not cooperate with the relatives, who were looking for the missing minor. Zainab had marks of torture on nose, neck, and other parts of the body – according to the autopsy. The samples collected from her clothes and body were sent to forensic laboratory.
Later, a joint investigation team (JIT) was formed to probe the murder case that collected data of 300 mobile phone numbers and six of them were marked for further investigation. Three footages were also emerged showing a suspect roaming with the victim.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar had also taken suo motu notice of the case. During the hearing, the apex court expressed dissatisfaction over police’s investigation and said it should also use conventional methods as well instead of only depending upon DNA samples.
INP
