Six suspects sent to jail in Rawalpindi ‘honour killing’ case

RAWALPINDI:Six suspects nominated in the killing of Sidra, a married woman allegedly murdered on a jirga’s order for ‘honour’ in Rawalpindi, were sent to jail on judicial remand on Saturday.

When Civil Judge Zeeshan Butt took up the case for hearing, police produced the six suspects in court after completion of their four-day physical remand.

During the hearing, the police requested an extension in the physical remand, but the court rejected the plea.

The court sent the six suspects — including the victim’s husband, father, and the head of a jirga — to jail on judicial remand.

Rawalpindi police have also added a kidnapping charge to the murder case after obtaining evidence that suggested that the woman was abducted with the intent to kill.

The arrested suspects admitted to bringing the woman back from Azad Jammu and Kashmir to kill her.

The jirga head had earlier confessed to bringing her from AJK, killing her, and burying her in the Pirwadhai graveyard.

A day earlier, police recovered the victim’s bag and mobile phone on the suspects’ identification.

Police sources said investigations are also under way into the vehicles used for travelling to and from AJK.

Earlier, authorities completed the court-ordered exhumation of her grave. Medical teams collected samples from the body during the forensic examination, which revealed evidence of violence.

Medical sources said the victim was strangled to death, with clear signs of torture visible on her face and head. “The victim’s face had turned blue, with visible marks of violence on her head and face when the body was exhumed for postmortem,” sources said. A female doctor compiled her official report after collecting all evidence.

The young woman was reportedly killed following a jirgadecision before she was buried in the local graveyard. She had been married to Zia-ur-Rehman, who filed an FIR on July 21, stating that his wife had left their home on July 11 with gold jewellery, Rs150,000 in cash, and personal belongings.

According to the FIR, he later discovered she had married another man, Usman, despite being legally married to him. Police believe she was murdered on July 16 and buried the next day.