LAHORE: The Ghalib Market police on Thursday registered a murder case against unidentified people in connection with the death of 27-year-old Nabeeha Chauhdry, a CSS probationer.

She reportedly died in a fire which erupted in her hostel room at the Audit & Accounts Training Institute on Guru Mangat Road, Gulberg, on Wednesday.

Also read: CSP officer found burned to death

Police lodged the case on the complaint of Institute Director (Administration) Ahmar Elahi on the insistence of victim’s mother Mrs Seemi Saleem of Karachi, contrary to initial findings which suspected suicide by the woman.

Nabeeha, who was allocated accounts group in the Central Superior Services exam and belonged to 41st Common, joined the training on June 27 along with 14 batch mate girls. She was found burned to death at her hostel’s room by rescuers.

Talking to media after her arrival from Karachi late on Wednesday night, Mrs Saleem had ruled out the possibility of suicide by her daughter and alleged the academy administration was responsible for her `murder’.

A police investigator told Dawn that major evidence - a small bottle filled with petrol and a couple of personal diaries and two cell phones - had been handed over to Punjab Forensic Science Agency experts for analysis.

He said fingerprints had also been lifted from the room, adding police could not establish the real cause of death and percentage of burns until the submission of forensic reports.

Another police investigator said a security guard broke open the room’s single entry door and detected smoke in the room.

Institute Director-General Shahzad Raza said he, after reaching the hostel, secured the crime scene before police arrival and extended cooperation for witnesses’ statements and evidence as per law.

He said female attendants soon after detecting smoke rushed to the room, broke it open and found Nabeeha burning and alerted high-ups. Raza claimed he also reached the spot in moments and used fire-extinguishing apparatus on the burning victim till the arrival of Rescue 1122 personnel who pronounced her dead.

Raza said the whole institute had barbed wires and the women hostel was secured by grilles on windows, adding it was not possible for anyone to intrude into the premises.

The DG said he and his subordinates had asked police to lodge a case as per family’s demand as they had no objection to their allegation that the institute administration was responsible for her death.

He said though the police investigators recorded statements of staff, not even a single employee was in police custody. He said he did not know who brought the petrol into the institute and how.

“Nabeeha was very religious and she wanted to serve her country like her father. She was very happy with her life. I shared my last message on WhatsApp by smart phone around 3pm saying Nabeeha hello and asking her in an informal way that what she could do for the country exceptionally. She replied in a positive way and texted she was going to take cake with tea,” said Javaria, the elder sister.

She said her mother received a call about the fire incident around 5pm and then they left for Lahore, adding Nabeeha spent her Eid holidays in routine.

Javaira said they had received a copy of FIR and would shift the body to Karachi.

She said police did not rule out possibility of short-circuiting and electrocution.

Javaira said the family was told that a very small quantity of petrol used could not burn her sister.

A police officer said 80 per cent of the petrol was intact in the bottle found from the scene.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2014