Sindh’s caretaker Minister of Law and Human Rights, Muhammad Umar Sumro, confirmed that DNA samples collected from Pir Asad Shah, the prime suspect in Fatima murder case, have matched with the semen traces found on the victim’s clothing.
He was addressing the National Judicial Conference at a local hotel in Karachi.
On August 14, ten-year-old Fatima Pharriro was brutally subjected to physical and sexual violence, allegedly by Pir Asad Shah and his wife Hina Shah, and was found dead at their haveli in Ranipur.
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.
The minister further highlighted that DNA samples initially did not yield a match due to the alleged tampering of evidence by officials of the health department, reportedly under the influence of the suspect.
A breakthrough occurred when the samples were sent to a facility in Punjab for processing, and the subsequent analysis established a clear match between the DNA obtained from the suspect and the samples found on the victim’s clothes.
According to an earlier DNA report from the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences in Jamshoro, the examination of the semen stains on the deceased girl’s clothing had revealed “mixed DNA profiles,” providing crucial evidence in the ongoing investigation of this tragic case.
Court Updates
On November 8, all suspects were produced by jail authorities, and the final charge sheet was submitted by the investigation officer. for the charge frame.
According to the final challan report, the DNA report has not been submitted to the court yet.
The DNA report has been submitted to Police Surgeon Karachi, as per the final post-mortem report, the supplementary post-mortem report will be submitted after the DNA report.
Therefore, after receiving the supplementary post-mortem report, it will be produced.
Fatima’s case
A domestic maid, 10-year-old child Fatima Phuriro, was found dead under suspicious circumstances in Ranipur.
The child had been working as a domestic worker at a haveli owned by an influential local, Pir Asad Shah Jilani.
Fatima’s mother, Shabana, was informed about the death by the employer who asked her to remove the body from the premises.
According to DIG Sukkur Javed Jiskani, the parents initially did not share the facts of the case with the police and claimed that the girl was suffering from gastroenteritis.
While her diagnosis was also confirmed by Dr Abdul Fatah Memon who treated her, the DIG revealed that Fatima was taken to the hospital either by the Pir or his staff and that the SHO was present at the time she was pronounced dead.
It was not until videos of the child were leaked by an unknown source and circulated on social media that the case caught the media’s eye. By then, the family had buried Fatima on August 15.
The body was later exhumed and sent for an autopsy which revealed that the girl had been raped both vaginally and anally.
Fatima’s parents revealed heartbreaking details when we talked to them in September this year.
