KARACHI – Police in the port city on Saturday claimed finding evidence against Dua Zehra’s husband and other suspects in the case of her alleged abduction from hometown and underage marriage in the Punjab capital.
The police team this time came up with contrasting claims as the investigating officer, DSP Shaukat Ali Shahani, filed a progress report before the sessions judge on Saturday.
Last month, the investigating officer submitted the investigation report to a judicial magistrate, requesting to void the cases lodged on the complaint of the teenager’s parents.
The officer apprised the court of the presence of Zaheer Ahmed in Karachi the day Dua went missing.
Shahani also mentioned Dua’s age was between 15 and 16 years, closer to 15, as earlier a trial court formed a medical board that conducted ‘age estimation test’.
The officer maintained that statements of witnesses were recorded and the call data record of the cell phone of suspect Zaheer was analysed during the detailed probe.
Citing fresh details, the IO said cleric Hafiz Ghulam Mustafa, Asghar Ali, Zaheer Ahmed and Zaheer’s 21 absconding relatives were found involved in the offence of kidnapping Dua and solemnising her marriage in violation of the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2013.
The officer mentioned that the ‘missing’ girl was still not recovered and he approached the Sindh home department for permission to travel to Lahore to recover Dua and arrest Zaheer.
Some reports in the local media said the Sindh Home Department had allowed the cops to recover Dua Zehra and arrest her ‘husband’ Zaheer Ahmed in the alleged kidnapping case.
The home department in its letter issued orders to the anti-violent crime cell for recovery of Dua and arrest of Zaheer Ahmed in the abduction case. It said the in-charge of the police party should get transit remand from court after arrests.
The missing girl who has been in the headlines for the past few months will be shifted to Karachi after her recovery with the permission of the Punjab home department.
Dua Zehra’s age between 15-16 years, says latest medical report
Dua first fled to Punjab where she solemnised her marriage with Zaheer as per the local laws by claiming to be 16 years old. Her parents however claimed that she was kidnapped and brainwashed into the union and feared that she may be trafficked.
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