PESHAWAR, July 17: The court of additional district and sessions judge on Wednesday found an accused of killing a young woman and sentenced him to death.

Headed by Judge Irshad Khan, the court pronounced that the prosecution had proved its case against the accused, Riaz Mohammad. The court acquitted co-accused Parveen and Mohammad Iqbal, sister and brother of the convict, respectively.

The three accused had faced trial for killing Abida alias Bano at their residence on July 15, 1992, in the jurisdiction of the University Town police station.

Parveen was a nurse at a local hospital. Abida, who belonged to the Dir district, came to the hospital with another woman. They met Parveen who took her to her home and told her parents that Abida would stay with her.

The prosecution claimed that the brothers of Parveen had developed illicit relations with Abida and when she got pregnant they killed her.

Initially, convict Riaz claimed that somebody from outside came to their residence and killed Abida. Later, he recorded a confessional statement before the court.

The accused had buried the body in a Mansehra graveyard, claiming that the dead was the wife of Riaz. When Abida’s parents learnt about her death they charged the accused with the murder following which her body was exhumed and it came to know that she was seven months pregnant at the time of her death.—Bureau