LAHORE: A minor was tortured to death allegedly by her mother’s lover in Defence, police claimed on Friday.

According to police, three-year-old Rabia died instantly due to profound head injuries. A murder case was lodged against her mother Nazia, her lover Shakir and maternal uncle Zahid. Police arrested the suspects nominated in the first information report.

Investigation Officer Sub-Inspector Muhammad Boota told Dawn Nazia and her three children were living in a rented quarter with Shakir in Charrar village shortly after she developed differences with her husband and separated from him.

Quoting preliminary investigations, Boota said Shakir used to beat Nazia’s children over petty issues. On the day of the incident, he allegedly tortured Rabia by hitting her with a club repeatedly. Rabia died due to serious head wounds.

Boota said Rabia’s mother, uncle and Shakir took her body to a graveyard to bury it in a bid to conceal the crime. However, some locals alerted police.

Police reached the spot, shifted the body to morgue for autopsy and registered a case against the suspects on the complaint of the girl’s father Qasim.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2015

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