HYDERABAD: The special medical board formed on court orders on Aug 17 exhumed the body of nine-year-old torture victim Fatima alias Saya Furro in a graveyard in Khan Wahan village, Naushahro Feroz district, and conducted post-mortem to determine cause of her death on Saturday.

The daylong process started in the morning in which services of two more experts, Prof Dr Zakiuddin Bhatti of forensic medicines at Dow University of Health Sciences and Karachi police surgeon Dr Sumaya, were also obtained, according to Sindh Director General of Health Services, Dr Irshad Memon.

He said: “We are trying our best to collect facts of the case regarding cause of her death so that the court can ensure justice.”

He said that it was a lengthy process in which close to 100 officials including those from police, district administration, health department and their supporting staff took part.

“The medical board’s members will be compiling their report (tonight) after consultation with Nau-shahro Feroz district health officer for reconciliation of facts about exhumation/post-mortem on the body,” he said.

The board was headed by medical superintendent of Peoples Medical College (PMC) Hospital, Nawab-shah, a forensic expert of Peoples University of Medicines and Health Scie-nces for Women, Nawab-shah; a professor of pathology from PMC and a senior female medico-legal officer posted in Naushahro Feroz.

Fatima Furro died in mysterious circumstances at the residence of Syed Asad Shah, who was later arrested by police, on Aug 14 in Ranipur town, Khairpur district.

The victim’s mother Shabnam Khatoon lodged an FIR at Ranipur police station and accused Asad Shah and his wife Hina Shah of the murder.

She claimed that she had seen marks of violence on her daughter’s body and when she confronted Asad Shah about it he did not give her a satisfactory reply.

Another maid claims torture on her

Another teenage house maid, Sanya, has slapped charges of torture on Syed Asad Shah and his wife, Ms Hina Shah, who are being held for the murder of their nine-year-old maid, Fatima Furro.

According to Khairpur SSP Rohail Khoso, 13-year-old Sanya has made the claims in a video and police is making her statement part of the case file of the FIR lodged by Fatima’s mother against Asad Shah and his wife.

“They used to subject me to severe beatings on minor mistakes,” the SSP quoted Sanya as saying. This statement to be recorded under Section 161 CrPC would become part of the FIR, he said. He said that Sanya, who was reportedly related to late Fatima, had made the video statement at her home after leaving Asad Shah’s house in Ranipur town and reaching her village, Khan Wahan, to which Fatima also belonged.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2023