KARACHI: Rizwan Ayaz Khan, who was arrested on Wednesday, has confessed to have killed Haleema Bibi by strangulating her and then dropping her son, Abdullah, (aged around three years) at Edhi centre after the victim had threatened him to expose their “relationship” to his wife if he would not marry her, the police said on Thursday.

Abdullah was taken to the Edhi centre by Rizwan last month as an abandoned child. The suspect claimed that the boy was ‘strolling’ alone near Do Darya at Seaview.

Haleema Bibi, later turned out to be the boy’s mother, was found dead in mysterious circumstances inside her flat in Delhi Colony. After a link between the woman and the boy was found, police investigation led to the arrest of Rizwan.

SP Investigation South-I, Adeel Hussain Chandio speaking at press conference at his office on Thursday evening said that Chaudhry Iqbal had ‘verbally’ abandoned his wife, Haleema Bibi, in October 2015 breaking their seven-year relationship. She had given birth to a girl, who later died. Abdullah is the couple’s second child.

Since ‘separation’, though informally, Ms Haleema had been living with Abdullah in the Qayyumabad area where Rizwan happened to be her neighbour living with his wife, Ms Sonia, and a daughter.

Rizwan and Ms Haleema developed a relationship a few months ago. Later, Rizwan shifted the woman to a rented flat in Delhi Colony.

Police quoted Rizwan as saying that he strangled her with chaddor on May 21 in the flat. Her decomposed body was found on May 31.

In reply to a question, SP Chandio said the police had so far found no evidence against Ms Sonia in the whole episode.

“She approached the Frere police on her own when a murder case was registered against her and her husband on June 1 on a complaint lodged by the victim’s brother, Mohammed Umer,” he said.

The SP claimed that Rizwan was arrested at a place near Al-Habib Restaurant on Superhighway on Wednesday.

The police officer said that the suspect had been using around 15 mobile phone SIMS. Therefore, it took time to trace him, he added.

Boy’s ‘father’ seeks his costody

Chaudhry Mohammad Iqbal, who claims to be the father of Abdullah, has moved a family court to seek his custody.

He moved an application through his lawyer under Section 25 of the Guardian and Ward Act, 1890.

Impleading the Edhi Foundation as respondent, the applicant submitted in court that being the father, he was the natural and legal guardian of the boy.

The lawyer argued that unless the application was allowed as prayed, the minor boy would suffer irreparable loss and this might leave a serious psychiatric impact on him.

According to the documents, including a birth certificate issued by a private hospital, Abdullah was born in January 2014.

The applicant also affixed a no-objection certificate signed by Abduallah’s maternal grandmother regarding his custody.

Since summer vacations are being observed at courts, the applicant also moved another application for urgent hearing of his plea for the child’s custody.

The judicial magistrate/family court judge (south) Saifullah Phulpoto issued a notice to the respondent foundation for June 11.A case was lodged against the couple under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code on a complaint of Ms Haleema’s brother at Frere police station.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2016