KARACHI: A judicial magistrate remanded on Monday a teenage girl, her fiancé and two other suspects in police custody in a murder case.

Police have booked the 18-year-old girl with her fiancé for allegedly killing her 16-year-old sister during what the police claimed was a staged robbery in her home on Dec 5 in a Malir locality while two brothers were also held for abetment.

Police said the teenage girl had, with the help of her fiancé, allegedly orchestrated the murder of her younger sister as the victim had friendship with one of the detained brothers and she allegedly helped both brothers to visit her home in the absence of their parents and to blackmail the female suspect.

The investigating officer, who also added the offence of rape in the remand papers, produced the four suspects before a judicial magistrate (East) and sought their 14-day physical remand for questioning and a medical examination.

The magistrate handed them over to the police on physical remand till Dec 15 and directed the IO to produce them again at next hearing with a progress report.

Initially, the FIR was lodged under Sections 397 (dacoity or robbery with attempt to cause death or grievous injury) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code on a complaint of the deceased’s father at the Saudabad police station.

According to the FIR, two men broke into the house for robbery, stabbed the teenage girl to death for putting up resistance and took away cash, jewellery and other valuables.

However, the IO replaced Section 397 with Sections 302 (punishment for premeditated murder), 376 (punishment for rape) and 109 (abetment) of the PPC in the remand papers.

Though the IO mentioned nothing regarding the allegation of rape in the remand papers, the female suspect alleged at a press conference on Sunday that she was raped by one of the detained brothers.

Seaview murder suspect sent to prison

A judicial magistrate remanded on Monday a key suspect to prison in a case pertaining to the murder of a college student near Seaview beach.

After the end of his remand, the IO again produced Khawar Hussain Burney before a judicial magistrate (South) and sought further extension in his custody.

However, the magistrate sent him to prison on judicial remand till Dec 18 and directed the IO to file an investigation report till next hearing.

The magistrate had already remanded four other suspects, including three brothers Haider Hussain Burney, Hasan Hussain Burney and Hasnain Hussain Burney, said to be juveniles, to prison in the present case while Raza Hussain Burney and his brother Haris Hussain Burney, Danish, Hammad, Noman, Umar Pirwani and a woman, Mehak, are still at large.

Police said the suspects had allegedly gunned down 18-year-old college student Zafir Ahmed Zuberi and injured his friend Zaid on Abdul Sattar Edhi Avenue near Seaview beach after the victims travelling in a Mercedes hit a motorcyclist involved in motorbike racing at the beach; thereafter the motorcyclist’s friends travelling in a Vigo chased and opened fire on them.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2017