September 18, 2007	Tuesday	Ramazan 05, 1428

LAHORE, Sept 17: The South Cantonment police have failed to find any clue to a car driver who killed a woman in a road accident and escaped with her one-month-old daughter who reportedly fell inside the vehicle smashing its windscreen on Sunday morning.

“I have found no official record of the vehicle at the Punjab Excise and Taxation department so it will be difficult to trace the driver and his whereabouts,” the assistant sub-inspector investigating the case told Dawn.

According to the First Information Report, on Sunday morning, Gulzar Ahmed, his wife Fatima, residents of Tibba Shah Batool, Pindi Bhattian, Hafizabad district, currently living in Nishat Colony, Lahore, were going on foot along with their daughter Maafia. When they reached at Khalid Butt Chowk and were crossing the road on a red signal, a speeding red Toyota Corolla car (LEG-6494) coming from 7-Up railway crossing, violated the signal and hit Fatima, who was carrying the baby in her lap.

Following the hit, Fatima fell on the ground while the baby slipped out of her lap because of the jolt and crashed into the windscreen, falling inside the car.

Gulzar, a security guard, escaped unhurt.

Fatima, who sustained critical injuries, died instantly while the driver, instead of stopping the car there, sped away from the spot along with the minor girl.

The police have registered a case under sections 320 and 363 of the Pakistan Penal Code on Gulzar’s complaint.

The investigating ASI, Sabir Husain, suspected the car (model 1997/1998 according to the FIR) was bearing a fake number plate.

He said according to Gulzar, following the accident the accused drove away the car towards Defense area.

To a question regarding whereabouts of the infant, he said he visited the Cavalry Hospital after the incident but to no avail.

“We have checkpoints at all public hospitals, and in case of admission of any abandoned patients to the emergency wards, information is passed on to the police station concerned,” he said. Police had so far received no information about any one-month-old abandoned girl, he added.