Fatima murder case: Asad Shah’s DNA samples match from crime scene

KARACHI: In a major breakthrough in the Ranipur murder case, DNA samples belonging to prime accuses Asad Shah have matched samples from the scene of the crime.

In August, a 10-year-old girl named Fatima had been found dead under mysterious circumstances in the haveli of a Asad Shah in Ranipur, Khairpur.

Caretaker Law Minister Umar Soomro confirmed that Shah’s DNA samples had successfully matched in an analysis by Lahore’s forensic laboratory.

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Soomro also said that officials from Sindh’s health department had tampered with the samples due to ‘connections’ with Shah, which prevented a match earlier.

Sindh’s caretaker Interior Minister Haris Nawaz said that officials should make sure that no important pieces of evidence are lost so the culprits involved in the heinous crime can be punished.

Initial reports claimed Fatima was killed and that marks of torture were found on her body.

She worked as a maid in Shah’s house and was buried without a post-mortem examination.

Her body was later exhumed for a post-mortem examination where police said that she was raped before she died.

A case was lodged on the complaint of her mother, Shabnam Khatoon, under Sections 302 (intentional murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of a common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) at Ranipur police station and an investigation was initiated.

During the investigation, the police arrested suspects Pir Asad Shah, his wife Hina Shah, his father-in-law Pir Fayyaz Shah, and Imtiaz Mirasi.