CHAKWAL: A local court in Chakwal has sentenced a man to three years’ imprisonment along with a fine of Rs50,000 and imposed diyat (blood money) of Rs9,828,670 for starving a young woman to death.

The woman owned more than 100 acres of agricultural land. The verdict, termed historic by the deceased’s counsel, was announced on Monday evening.

In case of failure to pay the fine, the accused will have to undergo an additional six months’ imprisonment, while he will remain in jail until the payment of diyat.

A shocking incident rocked Chakwal on February 12 this year when, acting on an anonymous letter, Chakwal police raided a house in Ghugh village. They found 26-year-old Jabeen Bibi lying dead on the floor of a room, while her elder brother Hassan Raza was discovered in a miserable condition.

Court orders convict to pay Rs9.8m blood money

Both siblings, who were suffering from mental disorders, had been locked inside their ancestral house after the acres, was being cultivated by their cousin Ansar Abbas, who showed utter negligence in taking care of the siblings.

Police booked Ansar Abbas, his two brothers, and seven other persons, including six women, on charges of murder, unlawful confinement, failure to provide basic necessities of life and concealing evidence.

After a trial lasting 10 months, Additional Sessions Judge Ameer Mukhtar Gondal acquitted nine accused by giving them the benefit of doubt, observing that the allegation was primarily levelled against Ansar Abbas, but the police had also booked his other relatives to show their competence.

The court converted the offence under Section 302 (murder) to Section 322, which deals with causing death without intent to kill.

The court imposed diyat of Rs9,828,670 on Ansar Abbas and ruled that he would remain in jail until its payment.

The accused was also found guilty of keeping both siblings in illegal confinement and was awarded three years’ rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs50,000.

Additionally, the court found him guilty under Section 491 for failing to provide basic necessities of life to the siblings, sentencing him to three months’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs500.

Rafaqat Ali, the maternal uncle of the deceased and her brother, told Dawn that Hassan Raza, 32, was being treated at the MH Hospital.

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2025