Prime suspect admits to raping and murdering Marwah, say investigators

Police investigators on Wednesday claimed to have achieved a major breakthrough in the rape and murder case of five-year-old girl Marwah after a suspect recorded his confessional statement, admitting to kidnapping and murdering the minor.

The suspect, 45-year-old Nawaz Khattak, was among the 31 suspects of whom police collected samples for DNA testing. “Nawaz Khattak basically belongs to Peshawar, who had arrived here in the city some five days ago before the incident occurred while his sons, who have also been included in the investigations, were already living in the area,” District East SSP Sajid Saduzai told The News. “Nawaz Khattak is a drug addict and was being considered a prime suspect in the case since day one.”

SSP Saduzai explained that the girl’s family had also accused him of the crime. “We formally arrested him now after the family accused him,” he said, adding that evidence, intelligence reports and his own confessional statement indicated that he was the perpetrator.

“He [Khattak] also tried to dodge police as sometimes he admitted to the crime and sometimes he denied his involvement in the case,” the SSP said, adding that though police had formally arrested him, they were waiting for the DNA report and the final chemical examination report.

Meanwhile, police detained nine more suspects, including the victim’s relatives, on Wednesday. Earlier, the police investigators had detained 21 suspects, including a father and two of his sons and also completed the geo-fencing of the area. Police said Nawaz was taken into custody on the day of the discovery of the girl’s body on Sunday and they also detained two of his sons over their alleged involvement in the incident.

Marwah had been kidnapped after she left home on Friday morning at around 7am to buy biscuits from a nearby shop. Later, her body was found stuffed inside a bag in Essa Nagri in the early hours of Sunday.

Following the discovery of the body, the family staged a six-hour protest and blocked University Road, demanding an immediate and strict action against the culprits. Additional IG Karachi Ghulam Nabi Memon also visited Marwah’s family on Tuesday and met her father and other family members. He assured the family that the culprits would be arrested soon.