Daily Times

NOWSHERA: One of the two men accused of raping and murdering a seven-year-old girl on Tuesday confessed to his crime in a local court before both were sent on a judicial remand.

The men were presented in the court of the local civil judge-cum-judicial magistrate for trying to drown and killing the minor girl after raping her earlier. One of the suspects confessed while the other pleaded not guilty; the court sent both to jail on judicial remand.

Two men have been arrested on Sunday after the residents of the area handed over the two men. According to police, the area residents planned on punishing the suspects themselves but decided to hand them over to the authorities.

Noor’s uncle told the police that that she went to Madrassa a day before but never returned home. The family then set out to look for her and found her being strangled by two men while they were attempting to drown her.

Later, medical reports from a local hospital also confirmed that the minor had been sexually assaulted, the police source added. Asjid Jehan, the father of the deceased minor, lodged a first information report (FIR) with the police. According to the FIR, the family handed over two suspects, identified as Abshaar son of Abdullah Shah and Rafiqul Wahab to police. The FIR further claimed the suspects had allegedly drowned Noor in the water tank and when they saw people searching for her, they left her there and fled.

However, the victim’s family managed to apprehend the suspects and who allegedly confessed to killing the girl in a video. Both the suspects were then presented before a local Jirga, which handed them over to police.

After registering the FIR, the police started an investigation into the case. Addressing the media, Nowshera SP Investigation Sajjad Khan said that both suspects have allegedly confessed to charges of sexually assaulting and murdering the eight-year-old girl.