The initial findings from a post-mortem report on August 20, 2023 revealed that the Khairpur housemaid, whose death occurred under mysterious circumstances, had been subjected to a sexual assault. This was reported by Daily Dawn on August 21, 2023.
Dr. Irshad Memon, the Director General of Health Services, stated that a six-member team conducted the post-mortem examination of the nine-year-old domestic worker after her body was exhumed. The cause of the girl’s death is being withheld until the chemical examiner’s reports are received.
Referring to the provisional report, Dr. Memon conveyed, “The post-mortem findings suggest both vaginal and anal penetration.”
The report detailed: “There were nine injuries of varying dimensions and measurements. All injuries occurred before death. The eyelids showed swelling and a greenish-blue discoloration.”
A copy of the provisional report, accessible to Dawn, was signed by Prof. Dr. Jawaid Ahmed Qureshi; Dr. Sultan Rajpar; Dr. Amanulah Bhangwar, additional police surgeon in Nawabshah; Dr. Yasmeen Jokhio, chief woman medico-legal officer at Naushahro Feroze Civil Hospital; Dr. Waqar Ahmed Shaikh, police surgeon in Hyderabad; and Dr. Summaiya Syed, police surgeon in Karachi.
Earlier, under the supervision of Prof. Zakiuddin Ahmad, the head of the Department of Forensic Medicine at Dow University of Health Sciences Karachi, the exhumation was carried out.
DNA samples collected from suspects
In the case of the maid’s murder, Ranipur police have obtained DNA samples from the suspects.
They apprehended Asad Shah’s father, Khair Shah, and his sons—Masood Shah and Sattar Shah—as well as their servant, Bachal Abbasi, who are considered primary suspects, and took them to Gambat government hospital to collect their DNA samples.
The police also arrested Ali Hassan Wassan, a retired doctor from the health department who had been working in a government hospital in Ranipur.
Khairpur SSP Rohail Khoso affirmed that Dr. Wassan was in police custody and that a decision on his involvement in the case would be made later.
He confirmed that more suspects were in police custody, including Ranipur SHO Ameer Ali Chang, but it had not yet been determined whether he would be charged in the case.
“We will present some of the suspects in court to obtain their remand, and their names will be revealed tomorrow (Monday),” he stated.
“We have collected DNA samples from Asad’s father and brothers,” he added.
The Ranipur police searched the residence of Pir Asad Shah, the prime suspect in the maid’s murder case, and rescued three maids aged between 30 and 50 years. Their identities were being safeguarded.