Police inform court DNA tests being carried out in rape and murder case

Police on Saturday informed a city court that they had collected DNA samples of a six-year-old girl who was raped and murdered in the Korangi area, and the suspects detained on suspicion.

The investigation officer of the case told the East judicial magistrate that so far no suspect was formally implicated in the case and this would happen on the basis of findings of the DNA and chemical reports.

The victim had gone missing on the night of July 27 and her body was found in a garbage dump in Korangi’s J Area a day later. It is believed that the girl was kidnapped, raped and then murdered.

According to the FIR, which was lodged on the complaint of her father, the girl was playing outside her house with her two sisters when power went off. He added that two of his daughters returned home while she continued to play outside.

The father said that at around midnight, he along with his neighbours started finding her but in vain. He added that the next morning, he received a call from someone about a child’s body lying in a garbage dump in the area and when he checked, he found that it was his daughter’s body.

East Zone Deputy Inspector General of Police Saqib Ismail Memon had told The News that investigators had traced a potential culprit, Zakir, who is a neighbour of the victim. He added that the suspect was being interrogated.

“An apparent key suspect has been taken into custody,” DIG Memon said. “Apparently, Zakir, a victim’s neighbour, is involved in the incident.”

The officer said the suspect had been arrested with the help of technical support. He added that Zakir was a prime suspect, and his DNA test was being conducted, but nothing could be said exactly until the DNA report was obtained.

According to a source, police have detained around 18 suspects but they suspect Zakir’s involvement in the crime because he has been changing his statements about where he was and what he was doing at the time of the incident.