MULTAN (Web Desk) – The Multan police on Saturday registered a murder case against the husband and in-laws of 20-year old Syeda Sania Zehra, a mother of two, who was found hanged in New Multan area earlier this week.
The news of young mother's hanging spread like wildfire on social media, prompting the Punjab government to take action against the killer.
According to reports, a case was registered at the New Multan police station on the complaint of victim's father under sections 302 (intentional murder), 148 (rioting armed with a deadly weapon) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
The First Information Report (FIR), which unfolded the victim’s father’s complaint against the in-laws of the deceased, stated that he reached his daughter's residence after receiving a phone call from a police official on Tuesday, adding that he found his daughter hanged from a ceiling fan.
It said a doctor and a forensic expert present at the scene said the victim had died at 6pm that day.
According to the complaint, the doctor said the victim’s jaw was broken and marks of rope were also found on the feet of the deceased.
It added that signs of torture were also found on the victim’s body as both her eyes, ribs and elbows were badly bruised.
The FIR stated that the victim was expecting and her husband had escaped without informing the family about their daughter’s death.
The suspect had lied to the victim’s parents at the time of their marriage that he was unmarried, the complainant added.
Sania's family had filed a case in the family court against the suspect for lying about his first marriage, however, the case was eventually retracted after the victim chose to stay with him after reconciliation.
The husband used to beat his wife and pressured her to sell the house she owned, threatening that he would kill her if the property in her name was not transferred to him forthwith.
The complainant said his daughter's murder was being portrayed as a suicide.
On the directive of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Provincial Minister for Social Welfare and Finance Sohail Shaukat Butt and Women Protection Authority chairperson MPA Hina Parvez Butt immediately visited Multan to meet the victim’s family.
Butt assured the victim's family of complete investigation into the matter, adding that a joint investigation team had already been constituted for dispensing justice.