KASUR : Police have arrested the man involved in the rape and murder of seven years old Zainab in Kasur, private TV channels reported citing sources in the police department on Wednesday.
A suspect whose DNA test matches with samples taken from the body of six-year-old Zainab Amin was reportedly arrested on Tuesday.
Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, while speaking to media neither confirmed nor denied the reports. He said the Punjab government would brief the media on the matter itself.
The suspect is a resident of the same area and lives very close to the aunt’s house, the sources said.
According to police, the suspect identified as Imran is a resident of Kot Road and a relative of the victim.
The suspect’s appearance matches the appearance of an individual seen with Zainab in CCTV footage recovered by police, according to police sources. He was arrested as part of the investigation earlier but was let go, the sources said, adding that he was arrested again after more evidence was collected.
Reports said the man had disappeared from Kasur after the interrogation and stayed in Phoolnagr, Pakpatan and other areas of Punjab before being arrested by the police. The authorities are likely to hold a press conference to inform the media about the arrest.
On January 4, Zainab went missing after leaving her house on Kasur’s Road Kot area for her maternal aunt’s house a few minutes away for religious lessons.
A few days later, the victim’s body was recovered from a trash heap. An autopsy confirmed that she was strangled to death. It suggested that she had been raped before being killed.
The gruesome murder triggered protests in Kasur and other parts of the country with violent mobs attacking police and residents of ruling party lawmakers. Two protesters were killed in clashes with police after the funeral prayers of the child in Kasur.
The Punjab government had set up Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the rape and murder of Zainab. Chief Justice of Pakistan had also taken suo motue notice of the incident.