Islamabad Police on Tuesday arrested two suspects over the alleged rape and murder of a 10-year-old girl, Farishta.
Earlier on Monday (May 20), the girls body had been found from Shehzad Town. Farishta had been missing since May 15.
According to police sources, the girl had been murdered after being raped, while her body was later thrown in the forest.
The victim’s family staged a protest against police, claiming that they had earlier refused to register an FIR. The protesters said that police had taken four days to register a first information report. Following the protest, the Islamabad IGP suspended the Shehzad Town SHO from duty. The IGP formed two teams to investigate the incident. One of the teams will be headed by the Investigation DSP, and the other will be led by an SP.
Federal Interior Minister Ijaz Ahmed Shah took notice of the incident and sought a report from the Islamabad IGP. He also called for strict action against those involved in the murder.
According to the FIR filed by the victim’s father, Gul Nabi, his daughter had gone out to play on May 15 around 5pm, but did not return. Upon failing to find her, he feared that she had been abducted. He stated that he had gone to the police station instantly and reported the incident. A missing person’s report was filed on May 16, the FIR stated.
Gul Nabi said that there were torture marks and wounds on his daughter’s body. He alleged that his daughter – who had been missing for at least four days before her body was found in a wooded area – had been raped before she was killed. The suspects, Nabi alleged, had also thrown acid on his daughter. Nabi also alleged that the Shehzad Town police, instead of taking action or filing an FIR, had used delaying tactics.
MNA Mohsin Dawar has been highlighting the case on social media. He alleged that the victim’s parents had “continuously requested concerned police station for FIR but they refused”.
Dawar, in a tweet on Monday, alleged that Polyclinic Hospital had refused to conduct a postmortem examination of the body. However, on Tuesday, hospital sources said that the exam had been conducted and the results were awaited. ‘#JusticeForFarishta’ became a trending topic on Twitter on Tuesday.
