KARACHI: Police claimed to have arrested two suspects accused of kidnapping and raping a 10-year-old homeless girl in Clifton on Sunday last week. Girl hailed from Shikarpur and was dwelling with her family on a footpath near Abdullah Shah Ghazi's shrine in Karachi before crime was reported.

Confirming arrests in case, South Senior Superintendent of Police Syed Asad Raza told media that suspects were caught with help of CCTV footage, which was used to identify vehicle used by suspects. Police identified a vehicle using CCTV footage and got its sketch made, he said, adding that they then "physically checked all vehicles of same colour and make". SSP said vehicle, a white Suzuki Alto was registered in name of a Ghotki resident, but he had sold it to a resident of Karachi. "So it took police considerable time to identify present user of car."

He clarified that girl's family was not particularly displaced by recent floods, as was believed earlier. "Family is of seasonal beggars. They regularly visit Karachi and were also here last Ramadhan." SSP Raza emphasised that such crimes highlight need for Safe City camera network, which had an in-built system for automatic number plate recognition. According to South police's interrogation report, one of suspect revealed that he had gone to a bathhouse in Clifton's Neelam Colony around noon in his employer's car a white Alto bearing registration number BVU-955. Report said both suspects then went to Imtiaz Super Market which was situated nearby in their respective vehicles. Upon reaching there, second suspect parked his motorcycle and moved to passenger seat of car being driven by first suspect.

"A girl, aged between 15 or 16, approached us," first suspect told police, adding that his companion spoke with girl in Sindhi and asked her to get in car so he could buy her ration. Boat Basin police registered first information report against suspects under sections 364-A (kidnapping or abducting a person under age of 14), 376 (punishment for rape) and 34 (common intention) of Pakistan Penal Code by girl's mother.

Published in The Daily National Courier, October, 27 2022

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