FAISALABAD: The body of a girl who had gone missing earlier this week was found in a canal on Wednesday.

According to a doctor at the hospital where autopsy was conducted, she was subjected to rape and violence before being strangled to death. The victim was a student of English literature at the Government College University, Faisalabad.

Ali, the girl’s father, told the media on Thursday that his daughter had left the university after attending her classes, but did not return home.

“I and my relatives got worried and launched a search for her, but to no avail. I then approached Gulberg police for registration of a case, but the SHO not only refused to entertain my application but also used objectionable language.

“I then sought assistance from City Police Officer Athar Ismail. But the CPO neither bothered to take action against the SHO nor ensured registration of a case,” Ali said, overcome with emotion while recalling his helplessness.

The girl’s father quoted eyewitnesses as saying they had seen some people bundling her into a car near the university.

Ali said he suspected some university students’ involvement in the crime.

Her class fellows remembered her as an intelligent, simple and reserved person. They said police could have saved the victim by tracing her mobile phone location and call data, besides using footage of the CCTV camera installed on roads leading to the university.

A senior police officer said on Thursday a murder case had been initially registered against unidentified persons by police on the complaint of a police volunteer. Claiming that the culprits would be “nabbed soon”, he said police would investigate why the case was not registered by Gulberg police when the father approached them.

Suspension

The CPO has suspended the Gulberg SHO over the delay in registration of the case. A departmental probe into the incident has also been initiated against him.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has sought a report on the matter.

The CPO has formed two teams to trace and arrest the culprits.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2018