In a shocking incident in the Lyari area of Karachi, the mutilated bodies of four females — a middle-aged woman, and her daughter, granddaughter, and daughter-in-law — were discovered in a residential building on 19 October 2024.
Police suspect that someone from the family, or among the relatives or neighbours may be behind the brutal murders. The gruesome discovery was made on the seventh floor of a flat located in Zainab Arcade on Bantwa Street, within the jurisdiction of the Baghdadi police station.
All four females were killed by having their throats slit, and signs of violence were evident on their bodies. Reports indicate that they were murdered in separate rooms.
The police took the bodies to Dr Ruth KM Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi, where the victims were identified as Shamshad Farooq, 60, and her daughter Madiha, 21, granddaughter Alina Razzaq, 12, and daughter-in-law Ayesha Sameer, 20.
District City SSP Arif Aziz told the media that all the four females were present in the house at the time of the murders, and the assailant managed to escape after committing the crime, taking the murder weapon with him.
Police are trying to obtain footage from the nearby CCTV cameras. The head of the family, Muhammad Farooq, confirmed that the deceased are his wife, daughter, granddaughter and daughter-in-law.
He claimed that neither he nor his two sons were home during the incident, saying that upon their return, they knocked on the door, and when no one answered, his son used a spare key to enter. He stressed that they have no enemies, and sought justice through the police investigation.
The SSP said that the incident occurred between 2:30am and 3:30am on Saturday, adding that Farooq reported the crime to the police at 3:05am.
Police suspect that the victims may have been given a narcotic substance before being killed, as the brutality of the crime suggests a degree of familiarity with the victims.
Neighbours claimed that they did not hear any commotion, leading the police to believe that the perpetrator might be someone close to the family or a relative.
Locals claimed that the suspect is Bilal, the son of one of the victims, Shamshad. They alleged that he committed the murders in the name of honour. According to the area residents, the man had returned from performing Umrah two weeks ago and suspected some of the women in the house of having illicit relationships.
Consequently, he allegedly used a sharp object to kill his mother, divorced sister, minor niece and sister-in-law. The locals also noted that the man had divorced his own wife. Though the police neither confirmed nor denied making any arrests, the locals claimed that the police had taken Bilal into custody.
Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar sought details from SSP Aziz regarding the incident. He emphasised the need for cooperation from the local community and neighbours to make the investigation successful. He said that all measures should be taken to apprehend the suspects involved in the murders.
Published in News Daily on 20-October-2024.
