NAROWAL: Three suspects were arrested on Monday for gang-raping and murdering an 11-year-old girl.

A labourer of Kot Abdul Malik in Sheikhupura district and his family had gone to Shakargarh to attend a wedding on Sunday. After the wedding, his daughter ‘Z’, 11, was going to her maternal uncle’s house in Miadian village with her cousins on the uncle’s motorcycle.

On the way, the uncle met his neighbour near Narowal city who offered to drop one of the children home. The uncle made ‘Z’ travel with the neighbour.

When the uncle reached home, he asked the family about Z, who told him she had not reached yet. He asked his neighbour about it, who told him he had dropped Z outside the house. The family informed Rayya Khas police about the incident and also searched for the minor, but in vain.

On Monday morning, police arrested the neighbour, S, and interrogated him about the girl. He told police that he, along with two of his friends, had raped Z and then strangled her to death. On the indication of the suspect, Z’s body was recovered from wheat fields.

According to police sources, Z had been raped after tying her hands and a number of scars were found on her body. Rayya Khas police took the body into custody and shifted it to the DHQ hospital for post-mortem.

After the post-mortem, police completed legal formalities and handed over Z’s body to her relatives. Her family then left for Kot Abdul Malik where she would be laid to rest.

Z’s father said: “The Rayya Khas police in connivance with the murderers has registered a case under Section 365-B of the PPC and arrested them, while my minor daughter was first abducted and then gang-raped.

Police have not included the relevant sections in the first information report. Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Prime Minister Imran Khan should get my daughter and family justice.”

According to the district police spokesman, all three culprits were arrested and investigation was under way.

Narowal District Police Officer Zulfiqar Ahmad did not respond to this correspondent’s queries despite repeated attempts to contact him.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2019