LAHORE, March 1: Garden Town police have arrested the alleged murderer of a 63-year-old man and his three-year-old granddaughter four days after the incident.

Arshad Ali Subhani, a resident of Abu Bakar Block of New Garden Town, and his granddaughter Khadija Adnan were murdered and their 17-year old maid Shomaila was injured by the assailant in their house. Khadija was the only child of Adnan Arshad, who is a bank employee.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations) Ghulam Mahmood Dogar, who was flanked by Model Town SP (Operations) Maroof Safdar Wahla and Garden Town ASP Tariq Aziz Sindhu, told a news conference at his office on Thursday that police started investigation into the case by recording statement of Shomaila, traced the suspect identified as 18-year-old Aqif (Shomaila’s brother) and took him into custody from Rawalpindi.

He said the police seized the sharp-edged weapon from the city canal near Gulzar underpass besides Rs50,000 cash the suspect stole from the victims’ house.

The DIG said Aqif ‘confessed’ to committing the offence for Rs100,000 because the parents of the girl whom he loved demanded money for their marriage. He said Aqif, who was hiding at the upper portion of the house, came downstairs with a scarf on his face, took the minor girl hostage by using a grass-cutter and demanded Rs100,000 from Subhani.

A scuffle took place between the two and suspect’s face was exposed. In consequence, he first killed Khadija and then Subhani.

He also attacked his sister, but she survived.

Dogar said the suspect then stole Rs60,000, threw the weapon in the canal and went to Pattoki. He said the suspect handed over Rs50,000 to her lover’s father and went to Rawalpindi to see her. In the meantime, police came to know about his whereabouts and arrested him.

Aqif, who was brought before the media in handcuffs, said he committed the double murder for the sake of money because his lover’s parents demanded money for marriage.

Aqif, whose family lives in the quarters of Subhani’s house, said he opened the window at the upper floor of the house on Friday and went to Doongi Ground. “I entered the house at around 3am on Feb 25. I covered my face with a scarf, came downstairs and caught Khadija. As my sister raised an alarm, I told her to keep quite.”

“I hit my sister with the weapon and she fell on the ground. I hit Khadija when she cried and killed her. Then I went to Subhani’s room and asked for money. My scarf fell during the scuffle and I attacked the old man, fear that he has recognised me. After killing Subhani, I took Rs60,000 and fled,” Aqif said.

The DIG announced cash award and certificates for the ASP and the police team, which arrested Aqif.

Separately, the DIG said police of Nawab Town, Sundar and Sattokatla had arrested 10 criminals of three gangs and seized jewellery, cell phones, motorcycles, a pick up and illegal weapons from them.