Rawalpindi, Pakistan – In a grim episode that unfolded on Easter Sunday in the Panch Marla Scheme area, a seven-year-old girl was killed after being kidnapped and raped. The main suspect, a relative and alleged perpetrator, died in a shootout involving the police and his own accomplices on Tuesday.
Authorities identified the suspect as Sunil Basharat, a local who was reportedly addicted to methamphetamines, commonly referred to as “ice.” During the police investigation, Basharat confessed to luring his young niece to an under-construction building with the promise of food. It was there, police say, he attempted to assault her. When the girl resisted and screamed, Basharat allegedly silenced her by cutting her throat with scissors, striking her on the head with a brick, and subsequently strangling her.
The tragic sequence of events began the unraveling when the suspect returned home and, in an attempt to mislead, collaborated with relatives to simulate a search for the missing girl.
The police were tipped off by the suspicious behavior and inconsistency in the narratives presented by the suspect and his accomplices. Within a brief interrogation, Basharat not only confessed to the crime but also agreed to lead the police to the murder weapon. It was during this operation that his accomplices attempted to intervene, resulting in a firefight. Basharat was critically injured in the exchange and succumbed to his injuries after being transported to a hospital.
A formal case has been lodged against the deceased for the kidnapping, rape, and murder of the girl, based on a complaint filed by Nauman Farzan Masih, the victim’s father. He told police that his daughter had been playing outside their home during a family gathering for Eid when she vanished.
After several hours of fruitless searching, including inquiries with neighbors and relatives, the family discovered the girl’s body in the nearby building late in the evening. The discovery site, detailed as a room resembling a washroom or storage area, presented a harrowing scene with visible injuries on the young girl’s neck and forehead.
In response to the incident, Rawalpindi City Police Officer Syed Khalid Hamdani commended the swift action of the police force in making an arrest within 24 hours. He issued a stern reminder and a warning that crimes against women and children cross a “red line” and will be met with stringent actions from law enforcement.
This tragic event has sparked a broader discussion on safety and the urgent need for protective measures for children in the community, highlighting an intolerable crisis of violence that demands immediate and concerted attention. This case has not only brought grief but has reinforced the imperative for an ironclad commitment to the security of the most vulnerable members of society.