Four-year-old Abdullah handed over to his grandmother

Karachi    

A court ordered on Friday that Abdullah, a four-year-old boy living at the Edhi Centre after his mother Haleema was found dead in Delhi Colony on May 31, be handed over to his maternal grandmother.

The court said the grandmother could take care of Abdullah. However, the court observed that the boy’s father Iqbal Chaudhry was free to meet him at his grandmother’s house. 

The court warned the grandmother to take care of Abdullah with a responsible zeal and in case the court noticed any irresponsibility, it could take action against her.

Previously, the court had allowed Chaudhry to meet his son in court premises.

However, the court now granted the plea of Abdullah’s grandmother that she would be able take care of her grandson in a better way. 

The court sent a copy of its decision to the Edhi Centre. Abdullah’s mother was murdered allegedly by a man named Rizwan Ayaz Khan who dropped the boy at the Edhi Centre. Khan was later arrested by police. Later, Chaudhry appeared before the court and requested Abdullah’s custody claiming that he was his father.

The court observed that Abdullah had not recognised Chaudhry and it was important that he met with the boy for a couple of hours.

Iqbal, who was keen to see his son, brought him toys and other gifts but Abdullah did not pay any attention to them.

On witnessing this, the court had permitted Iqbal to spend some more time with Abdullah.

The key suspect, Khan, retracted the statement he had made during interrogation and told the court that police had forced him to confess by threatening to harass his wife and daughter.   He also said Haleema might have been killed by her stepson, Ansar Khan. Khan was sent to prison on judicial remand.

Khan had allegedly told the police that he had dropped Abdullah at the Edhi Centre .

The body of Abudllah's mother, Haleema, was found at an apartment in Delhi Colony, officials of the Frere police station arrested Rizwan near Super Highway.  The then investigation officer had said Khan had confessed to drugging and then murdering Haleema on May 25.