SARGODHA: A major development came in the sensational case of the murder of a seven-year-old girl on Wednesday when the police said that the main accused, who was accused of murder and an alleged attempt to rape, was killed during an alleged encounter with the Crime Control Department (CCD).
According to the police, the accused had escaped from custody a day ago, and later, on a tip-off, the CCD team launched an operation to find him. Authorities claim that the accused was present with his three alleged accomplices during the operation and opened fire on seeing the police.
Sargodha Regional Police Officer Shahzad Asif Khan said that the main accused was nominated in the case in which a seven-year-old girl was killed after an alleged attempt to rape her. The girl’s body was found on Monday from a shop where she had gone to buy some items, according to her father.
According to the FIR registered by the CCD, the police team received information that the absconding accused was present in the area of ​​​​Sem Nala near Mathalak. On receiving information, the police reached the spot where the accused and his accomplices allegedly opened fire.
The FIR claims that the police took up a position for their own safety and retaliated. The firing continued for about ten minutes. Later, when the firing stopped, the police searched the area and recovered a body from the bushes.
According to the police, the deceased was the main accused and was killed by the firing of his accomplices. The FIR states that the remaining three persons managed to escape taking advantage of the darkness.
According to the authorities, the body of the accused was shifted to Faisal Masood Teaching Hospital for post-mortem while the items found in his possession were taken into custody. Police say that further investigation into the incident is underway.
According to Sargodha District Police Officer Sohaib Ashraf, the other three accused arrested in the case are still in police custody and their interrogation is ongoing.
The incident has raised some important questions, particularly as to how the main accused escaped from police custody and who was with him when he escaped. The police have not yet provided a detailed explanation in this regard.
The incident comes at a time when the Crime Control Department is already facing criticism from various quarters. Human rights activists and civil society representatives have raised questions about the killings that have occurred during CCD operations in the past.
In February, a fact-finding report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) claimed that there were concerns about extrajudicial killings during several police encounters conducted by the CCD in Punjab. The report stressed on transparent investigations into such incidents.
The case of the murder of a minor girl in Sargodha had already sparked public outrage. Now, following the death of the main suspect, the investigation into the case has entered a new phase, while the public and legal circles await further details of the case and the results of the investigation.
