Daily Times

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday sentenced the prime suspect, Muhammad Nabi, to life imprisonment in the rape and murder of a minor girl.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 million on the suspect.

The 15-year-old accused, Mohammad Nabi, was arrested by Mardan police for raping and killing four-year-old Asma. The suspect, who is a relative of the victim, had confessed to the crime during the investigation.

Addressing the media after the verdict was announced, DPO Mardan Wahid Mehmood said the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Police had provided necessary evidence to convict the suspect.

Asma was reported missing from the Gujjar Garhi area in Mardan on January 13. Her body was found the next day from nearby sugarcane fields. According to her post-mortem report, the four-year-old was raped and later killed.

However, former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Police inspector general Salahuddin Mehsud had claimed that the accused had unsuccessfully attempted rape before murdering the girl. Mardan Regional Police Officer (RPO) Dr Mian Saeed said that the case was resolved by tracing a drop of blood on a leaf in the sugarcane field where the minor was killed. Dr Saeed said that the suspect attempted sexual assault on the four-year-old in the sugarcane field but the minor resisted. In reaction, eh killed the minor by strangulation.

Published in Daily Times, July 10^th 2018.