Police include slain woman’s stepfather in probe

Though police investigations have failed to make any major breakthrough in solving the mystery behind the murders of a man and a married woman who were shot dead in Clifton’s Boat Basin area on Monday night, they have included the woman’s stepfather as a suspect in the probe.

On Wednesday, the investigators collected the calling data record of the young woman’s cell phone, which suggested that she had had frequent contacts with unknown persons.

Anila alias Ainy and a young man, Adnan, were riding a motorcycle when they were gunned down by unidentified assailants. Their bodies were taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center for autopsies. After getting details of the suspected phone numbers, the police conducted raids in Hijrat Colony, Sultanabad and their surrounding areas; however, no arrest was made.

Anila hailed from Sargodha had been living with her stepfather in Hijrat Colony. The victims were neighbours. The investigators have recorded the statement of the victim’s husband, Altaf alias Tofan Khan. In his initial statement, he said the worked at a snooker club and got information about the incident through media.

He denied having any personal enmity with anyone, and said he had married the woman about 11 years ago and had a 10-year-old son. He said his family had no relation with another murder victim, Adnan. He said his wife had left the house to buy medicines on Monday night.

Sharing the findings of the initial investigation, police said Adnan and Anila were friends. The woman was said to be friends with two other men, and one of them wanted her to discontinue her friendship with Adnan.

Anila’s husband was unaware of his wife’s friendships, the police said, adding that they had included three suspects, including the woman’s husband and her stepfather, in the investigation.

Shortly after the horrific incident, Adnan’s father, Shafi, approached the police and registered an FIR under Section 302/34 against unidentified persons. He said he was at work when he got the news about the incident and found the bodies of his son and a woman at the hospital.

He said they did not have any relation with the woman nor did they have any personal enmity with anyone. The family took the body of Adnan to their hometown in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for burial.