KARACHI, April 21: Police on Thursday claimed to have arrested a young man for his alleged involvement in the murder of a teenage girl earlier this week when she resisted his attempt to rape her.

Officials said that they arrested Kaleem Ahmed, who is in his mid-20s, after initial investigations suggested that he allegedly strangled the 14-year-old girl near Jubilee Market on Monday and dumped her body in a gunny bag in the Garden area.

The body was found on Monday evening and a few hours after the girl who lived in a residential building in Jubilee area had been murdered, Inspector Ejaz Mughal, the station investigation officer of the Eidgah police station, said.

“We began connecting the dots and after some efforts found out that she was last seen with the suspect who has a grocery shop in her area. Before reaching any conclusion, the police collected evidences which strengthened our doubts.”

On Thursday morning, he said, police finally arrested the suspect, who after a brief questioning confessed to have committed the crime.

“The suspect said he had persuaded the girl to visit his shop’s warehouse situated in the same area. There he tried to carry out his plan but the girl resisted. During the scuffle he heard someone entering the facility,” the Eidgah police official said.

In order to stop the girl from screaming he covered her face with a plastic bag and put his hands on her mouth that led to her suffocation and claimed her life.

“The suspect stuffed the body in a bag, put it on his motorbike and dumped it in a comparatively isolated area,” he added. He said the suspect claimed that he had not raped the girl and killed her only out of fear.

The police are waiting for the final report of a medical examination before reaching any conclusion.

“We have also sent the DNA and other samples of the suspect for detailed examination. We would corroborate the results of two examinations for further investigation. Initially the suspect has been booked under Section 302 (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code in an FIR 12/2011,” added Sub-Inspector Mughal.