SHEIKHUPURA, April 20: ASI Ilyas Bhatti was taken into custody by the Muridke City police for releasing the alleged killer of the two children. The police also booked seven other people , including four women, on suspicion.
Three police teams constituted by Sheikhupura Range DIG Syed Saqlain Naqvi were investigating the incidents. The team, headed by SP (Investigation) Tariq Abbas Qureshi, visited the spot and gathered information from the locals about the incidents.
After setting up a camp in Daoke village, the team members have started recording statements of the area people. They were also piecing together the information about the unidentified psychopath.
The IT members are working on various aspects. They are also collecting data about the rented houses and their occupants. Mainly, they are concentrating on young people between the age of 18 and 22. All the suspected youths are being divided into three categories.
Two children - Tehmina (7) and Ramzan (8) were slaughtered in Daoke locality in an identical fashion between April 12 and 14. The third child, Zainul Abedin (5), who was admitted to Mayo Hospital, Lahore, in critical condition, has now been discharged. The IT team has also gathered information about the killer from Zainul Abedin.
The killings were followed by a clash between residents of the affected localities and police over the alleged negligence of the latter. The protesters blocked the GT Road traffic for hours, bringing a wave of insecurity to several adjacent areas.
The Sheikhupura Range DIG along with a heavy police contingent raided different places late on Monday night and nabbed four suspects, including three women. They were identified as Rafi alias Ali, Sabran Bibi, Mumtaz Bibi and Riazan Bibi.
The three people, including a woman, are already in police custody. They are identified as Haider Saleem, Qadeer and Sakina Bibi. The fourth suspect, Qaiser, was handed over to police by the inmates on April 14.
But he was released after two days by ASI Muhammad Ilyas Bhatti, now detained at the Muridke City police station. Meanwhile, the DIG paid a surprise visit to Muridke City police station on Tuesday and suspended five policemen on the charge of absence from their duty.
Those suspended were: ASI Maqbool Ahmed, muharrer Shaukat Ali, constables Ali Abbas, Rafaqat Ali and Ali Akbar. The DIG also reviewed the progress made in the investigation of the murder of children. He also directed the investigating team to complete the probe and arrest the culprits immediately.
The investigation team has now come to the conclusion that the psychopath, aged about 18 to 22 with five feet in height, is involved in the two gory incidents. The psychopath has been living in the locality for some time and his targets and killings were pre-planned, the report of IT members says.
When contacted, DPO Chaudhry Muhammad Nawaz Warraich said that three investigation teams led by SP (Investigation) Tariq Abbas Qureshi, SP Rai Tahir and Ferozewala ASP Rana Faisal were constituted to probe into the matter. He claimed that the killer would be arrested soon.