A local court in Ranipur has transferred the murder case of 10-year-old child maid Fatima Farriro to a special anti-terror court in nearby Khairpur for further proceedings after a police investigation report found that the incident had caused fear and panic amongst residents, especially young girls.
The decision was made by a Ranipur Judicial Magistrate who evaluated an investigation report submitted by Ranipur SHO Inspector Muhammad Bachal Qazi.
In his report, Qazir noted that after it emerged that the 10-year-old child maid had been subject to sexual assault, including rape and sodomy at the house of influential local religious figure Pir Asad Shah prior to her mysterious death, it had triggered fear and panic in the locality. As a result, it attracted anti-terror laws.
The investigation officer further told the court that during the investigation, they had recovered additional girls trapped in Shah's house and that all of them were terrified and in shock after learning that one of their fellow child maids had been brutally murdered.
Subsequently, the judge ordered the transfer of the case to the anti-terrorism court in Khairpur. After including sections of the anti-terror law, the authorities would now have to take Shah to trial and present all the evidence they have to prove their case.
It is pertinent to mention here that police had arrested at least 13 more suspects in the murder of the child, including the driver of key accused Shah. Following his arrest a few days ago, police have obtained his DNA samples and sent them for forensic analysis to match the samples obtained from the child's battered body.
Accumulating evidence
Meanwhile, Sukkur DIG Javed Jaskani told reporters on Thursday that police were trying to unlock the suspect's cellphone. He explained that they hoped to obtain additional clues related to the case from the device.
He further added that they had sent the digital video recorder (DVR), attached to the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, which had been installed in the room where the child breathed her last, to Lahore for forensic examination.
"We are utilising all available resources to ensure a fair and transparent investigation into the incident," he stated, adding that they faced immense political pressure.
The 10-year-old child maid Fatima Farriro was found dead at the house of Shah earlier in August. Video captured by the security cameras installed inside the house showed the girl writhing on the floor in pain before passing away. She was then buried without undergoing a proper autopsy to ascertain the cause of death. The child's body was later exhumed on court orders and a post-mortem found that she had suffered brutal torture and sexual assault including rape and sodomy.