Police have recovered another seven people who were kept captive in Pir Asad Shah's mansion in Ranipur, where a child maid was found dead last week.
Meanwhile, the courts have extended Pir Asad Shah's remand in police custody by another five days even as police seek to put his wife's name on no-fly list
On Tuesday, a local magistrate presided over a case pertaining to the mysterious death of nine-year-old Fatima Fariro inside Shah's mansion.
During the hearing, three women and four children, who were recovered from the mansion of the accused, were produced before the magistrate after recording their statements. They were later handed over to their parents.
Meanwhile, lawyers belonging to different social organizations filed [vakalatnama] (representation certificates) on behalf of the complainant and vowed to pursue the case vigilantly. Advocate Ghulam Murtaza Shah appeared on behalf of Pir Asad Shah.
'Hell' mansion
The three women recovered from the mansion, accused Shah and his wife of making their lives hell and that they used to torture them daily.
They added that they had seen wild beasts in the garb of men.
Meanwhile, lawyers representing the girl's family accused Shah of recording obscene videos of his victims and then posting them on the dark web.
The police, however, did not produce health officials working at the Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences, including Dr Ali Hassan Wassan, peon Imtiaz Mirasi, along with the police head moharir to obtain their remand.
The police said that they were still being interrogated.
Earlier, the court extended physical custody of the prime accused, Pir Asad Shah, by five days.
During the hearing, the minor girl's father fell unconscious, creating drama.
Asad Shah's wife implicated
After Tuesday's court proceedings, Ranipur SHO Bachal Qazi confirmed that Shah's wife, Hina, is also nominated as co-accused in the FIR lodged by Fatima's mother.
He added that she had obtained pre-arrest bail from the Sindh High Court's Sukkur bench.
Meanwhile, Khairpur SSP said he has written to the Sukkur DIG Javed Jiskani, requesting him to place Hina Shah's name on the exit control list to prevent her escape from the country.
Meanwhile, SSP Khairpur has communicated to SHRC regarding the addition of sections Sections 328-A, 374 PPC, and Sections 3 and 14 of the Sindh Prohibition of Employment of Children Act, 2017, have been added to the FIR of Fatima's murder.
SHRC has received a police report in response to its letter. The office of DIG Sukkur and SSP Khairpur has been working diligently, the accused was produced for his MLO and DNA samples, a police picket has been detailed at grave of Fatima, Special Medical Board Constituted, etc pic.twitter.com/KOIOUYCJTm
— Iqbal Detho (@iqbal_detho) August 21, 2023
Progress on samples
Doctors and police have sent DNA samples collected from the girl, and the brothers and father of the key accused have been sent to the forensic lab at the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences in Jamshoro.
Activists and politicians offer condolences
On the other hand, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Junior, social activist Ume Rubhab Chandio and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Sirajul Haq offered condolences to the bereaved family and vowed to stand by the bereaved family.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Junior said that the peace of Sindh was in danger, adding that justice, in this case, was imperative.
Chandio said that she would stand by the family of the deceased until justice was served.
Haq said that pirs of Sindh were looting and deceiving the innocent.
He and his supporters later staged a protest and demanded justice for Fatima.