MULTAN, Aug 11: The district police have finally found a clue to the killers of a young woman and her four-year-old daughter with the help of DNA report, which they had obtained through blood stains found from the crime scene three months ago.
Sadaf and her daughter, Roma, were found butchered on May 8 last at their home in Shalimar Colony in Gulgasht police station precinct. Her infant, Uzaifa, remained unscathed.
Her husband, Raheel, was the first to point out the killings. He claimed he came to know about it when he reached home after closing his garments' shop in the evening. The police had registered a case against unknown culprits on the report of Sadaf's brother, Kamran Ashraf.
The complainant had suspected that Raheel, his brother Khurram alias Moon and his (Moon's) wife Uzma might be involved in the incident. Circumstantial evidences also led the police sleuths to the conclusion that the murderers would be some acquaintances to the victims. Afterwards, the police investigation cell took Raheel and his brother into custody to interrogate them.
However, after keeping them in custody for over a month the police released them for want of any evidence. Later, Multan District Police Officer Hamid Mukhtar Gondal changed the investigation team when the complainant expressed doubts against the PIC investigation.
The new investigation team, led by SP (City) Asher Hameed, started the investigations afresh and sent samples, including a bed sheet, collected from the spot for DNA test. The DNA report revealed that the bed sheet also contained bloodstains other than those of Sadaf and Roma.
The blood samples were later cross-matched with suspects and they were found of Uzma's brother Sabir. Sources in the police department told that the investigation team arrested Sabir, and on his identification, Ikram, a co-accused.
The culprits have reportedly confessed to killing the two, besides taking away jewellary of Sadaf. They claimed that they had sold it to a jeweller in Lahore. Sources said the stolen jewellary had been recovered.
However, the actual motive behind the double murder has yet to be unfolded, said a member of the investigation team. He added that Raheel and his brother had again been taken into custody on Tuesday night.
When contacted, ASP Asim Khan, a senior official of the team, declined to comment on details of the investigations, saying the DPO will announce its outcome in a next couple of days. The DPO is currently out of station on an official assignment.
The complainant, however, confirmed that the culprits had been tracked down with the help of DNA report. He said he had also suspicion that Sabir might be involved in the gory incident, but the previous investigation team was more interested in labelling the case as 'blind murders.'
Kamran said his deceased sister had told them that her husband had a clandestine affair with Uzma and that the matter had become a source of permanent trouble between the couple.