ARY news has reported that Khairpur police have released four accused in the murder case of 10-year-old Fatima again.
SHO Ameer Chang, Dr Fatah Memon, Dr Ali Hasan Wasan and medical dispenser Imtiaz Merasi have been set free as they were not named in the FIR.
“The evidence of innocence of four accused has been presented to the Joint Investigation Team headed by DSP Abdul Qadoos Kalor,” the Investigation Officer said.
On 28 August, Pakistan Today reported that according to sources having knowledge of the matter, the ‘deal’ is struck through an ‘agent’ of a high-ranked police officer in the Fatima murder case۔
Moreover, according to police sources, the arrested doctor, compounder, the MS, would be released from the Fatima murder case under a “deal of Rs5 million.”
On Tuesday, Ejaz Khaskheli, the driver of prime suspect Asad Shah’s wife Hina Shah, was arrested in Karachi by Khairpur Police while 11 others were also taken into custody from Asad’s mansion.
As reported by Dawn, according to Khairpur SSP Mir Rohail Khoso, Khaskheli was accused of helping Hina Shah in escaping arrest and went into hiding himself.
In Court
On 29 August, local court extended Pir Asad Shah’s physical remand by one day on the request of the police in 10-year-old Fatima’s case.
Shah was produced in the court after his three-day physical remand was completed.
The investigating officer told the court that because the provisions of the Terrorism Act have been included in the case, it should be transferred to the Anti-Terrorism Court.
The court also handed over Asad Shah’s driver Ijaz to the police on judicial remand for facilitating him.
Suspects re-arrested
Four suspects in the 10-year-old Fatima case have been rearrested after a short release on Sunday, 27 August.
The suspects included SHO Ameer Chang; two doctors Dr. Fateh Memon and Dr. Ali Hasan Wasan and hospital worker Imtiaz Meerasi.
According to Investigation Officer (IO) Qazi Bachal, they were released on evidence of their innocence. However, they are still under investigation.
The four were accused of concealing facts, concealing crime and neglect of duties.
Samaa News reported that no suspect was produced in court and that they were free without any investigation allegedly due to political pressure.
Additionally, on Saturday, Judicial Magistrate Khairpur extended the physical remand of Pir Asad Shah, the main suspect in the Fatima murder case, by three days.
Previously
Pir Asad Shah, the main suspect in the Fatima murder case at Ranipur Haveli in Khairpur, was being facilitated by a local SHO of police to remain in contact with his mureeds [followers], Geo News reported.
Earlier, DIG Sukkur Javed Jaskani had said in a conversation with Geo News that the police will not accommodate any pressure in the case.
The seven days long bail period of Hina Shah, another suspect in the case, has also ended.
Pir Asad Shah is the main suspect in the killing of 10-year-old Fatima who was found dead at his Haveli. The child, who was working as a domestic servant at the pir’s Haveli, was hastily buried. However, subsequent exhumation and autopsy revealed that Fatima had multiple injuries over her body, and had been raped vaginally and anally.
