RAWALPINDI: A building contractor was arrested for allegedly strangling his second wife over two weeks ago, police said on Friday.

Superintendent of Police Potohar Division Syed Ali said Mohammad Rauf Bhatti murdered his wife by strangling her with her scarf (dupata) on Sept 3. He then put a blanket over her body, locked the house and went to his in-laws’ house in Lahore.

The SP said since the decomposed body of the 25 years old was found from her house in Dhoke Chaudhrian on Sept 8, her husband had been a prime suspect in the case. However, he was formally arrested after an investigation and his confession to killing his wife on Sept 3.

The police said the deceased, Nayab Bibi, was 18 years old when she married Mr Butt, then 45, seven years ago. In her complaint to the police, Ms Riffat, the mother of the deceased, said Mr Bhatti used to physically abuse her daughter since he married her.

She alleged that her son-in-law also threatened to kill her daughter. Ms Riffat said when she and her son Adil visited her daughter’s house two months ago they found her beaten by her husband

She said she had been concerned after she could not contact her daughter on her mobile phone for five days.

The complainant said after failing to get a response from her daughter, she asked Mr Butt about her daughter but he replied that he had no knowledge about her. This added to her suspicion, she added.

The police said the woman’s decomposed body was found on Sept 8 after her husband approached the police to accompany him to his house which he claimed he found locked from outside with his wife missing.

After the police reached the house, the decomposed body of the woman was lying inside. According to the police, the woman had been strangled by her husband who confessed to killing her for consuming alcohol, smoking and excessively using the mobile phone.

The day when she was strangled, the murder suspect told the police, he had a brawl with her. The police said after killing his wife the suspect left the house and later staged the drama on his return after five days by calling the police that his wife had been missing.

“Though her husband had been detained by the police, he was formally arrested after he confessed to killing his wife,” the investigating officer said.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2017