Husband, neighbour held in double murder case

GUJRANWALA: Police said on Tuesday they had traced the killing of a woman and her young daughter in the city’s Gajjakh area within hours and arrested the woman’s husband along with a neighbour on allegations of planning and carrying out the attack.

According to police, the main suspect was identified as Mustafa, the husband of the deceased woman, Nida, while the second suspect was named as their neighbour Yasir. Police said both men had been taken into custody and had allegedly confessed during interrogation.

Investigators said Mustafa had ongoing domestic disputes with his wife and had allegedly joined hands with Yasir to kill her, offering him money for help in the crime. Police said the suspect first tried to divert the investigation by telling officers that his wife was not answering her phone and by attempting to present the matter as suspicious.

Police said the alleged plan was uncovered through what they described as modern investigative methods and prompt action, leading to the arrest of both suspects within hours.

The case surfaced after the bodies of Nida and her minor daughter were found inside their house in Rehmatpura, Gajjakh, on Sunday. Police said both victims’ throats had been slit with a sharp-edged weapon.

Following the incident, the City Police Officer Gujranwala visited the crime scene, took notice of the case and directed officers to immediately arrest those responsible. Police also said the accused were likely to be presented before the media.

Three suspects killed in separate encounters

In another development, Gujranwala police and the Crime Control Department claimed that three alleged criminals were killed in four separate police encounters in the district, while two others were arrested in an injured condition.

According to CCD officials, two alleged robbers, identified as Shoaib and Zubair, were killed in an exchange of fire after they allegedly attacked a CCD team while being taken for the recovery of stolen property. Police said the two suspects were involved in more than 120 criminal cases, including robbery and street crime, and had repeatedly returned to criminal activity after earlier arrests.

Officials said Zubair was wanted in 65 cases, while Shoaib was wanted in 56 cases.

In a separate encounter in the Sabzi Mandi police precinct, an inter-district narcotics suspect, Zafar Iqbal, was killed, with police saying he was hit by gunfire from his own accomplices during a raid. Police said he had a criminal record in Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Nankana Sahib and was wanted in several drug-related cases.