Six more suspects held in Aasma rape, murder case

MARDAN: Authorities have detained as many as six more suspects in Aasma rape, murder case on Friday.

According to Mardan DPO, the DNA samples will be taken from the suspects, adding that the authorities have geo-fenced the area.

Moreover, the district government has called an All Parties Conference on the case on Friday. The District Nazim Hikmayatullah Mayar informed that the APC will give its next course of action if the rape and terror clauses are not added in the case.

Earlier, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Salahuddin Mehsud confirmed on Wednesday that the minor girl found dead in Mardan’s Gujar Garhi area was raped before being strangled to death according to the post-mortem report.

“Looks like the culprit’s intention was to sexually assault [the minor],” he told reporters while detailing the incident.

The IGP further added that the minor’s post-mortem report shows signs of torture.

Four-year-old Aasma went missing from the Gujjar Garhi area on January 13 and was found dead in a sugarcane field the next day at 3pm after search efforts by the police and family. The police joined the family’s search after being informed of the incident at 9pm on January 13.

After the body was found, an FIR was registered and Mardan RPO and DPO visited Aasma’s family on January 14 to personally record details of the incident.

The IG said that an investigation team headed by the Mardan DPO was formed to probe into the case, and help from the counter-terrorism department was also utilised.

IG Mehsud said that a daily report is being prepared in the case.