Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Hyderabad Khadim Rind on Monday announced the arrest of the second prime suspect in the Tania Khaskheli murder case from Naushahro Feroze.
During an afternoon press conference, DIG Rind said Khan Muhammad Noohani was arrested earlier in the day, recalling that his accomplice, Maula Bux Noohani alias Mauloo, had been arrested on Saturday.
On Saturday, September 9, Khan, an influential wadera (feudal lord) of the Jhangara-Bajara town near Sehwan, had barged into Tania's family home along with armed associates and shot her dead, according to Tania's father, Ghulam Qadir Khaskheli.
The girl’s parents claimed that Khan had been pressing them to marry Tania to him, but they had turned down the proposal. They alleged that Khan had twice tried to kidnap the girl in the recent past.
DIG Rind announced Rs100,000 each for Senior Superintendent of Police Irfan Bahadur and Assistant Superintendent of Police Dr Sami for their role in Khan's arrest.
“We have inserted Sections 6 and 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 in the first information report (FIR) [for the case] considering the fact that it was a heinous crime,” he said.
DIG Rind disclosed that police had to conduct 50 raids to nab Khan. He confirmed that the weapon used to murder Tania was recovered during the raids.
“We will now start formal investigation into the case and collect forensic and digital evidence,” he said.
He said that case would be handled by an Anti Terrorism Court and it is up to the court whether it accepts the accused’s bail.
The police officer told media that a conviction in the case largely depends on statements of the prosecution witnesses.
“A murder case under Section 302 is otherwise a compoundable offence,” he said.
He said he was hopeful that the investigation would lead police to Khan's facilitators and one remaining accomplice.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, along with Inspector General A.D. Khowaja, had on September 15 visited the family and condoled Tania's death with her parents and other relatives.
The family and other residents of the neighbourhood had told the CM that the area police were aware of the whereabouts of the killer but they did not lay hands on him as he was being protected by some influential figures of the area.
The murder and police’s reluctance to arrest the killer had also triggered a series of protests by civil society organisations in different parts of the province.
The CM had ordered the immediate arrest of the killer, as well the SHO of the area for his failure to act promptly to arrest the accused.
The SHO had been picked up later that evening.
