Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Salahuddin Mehsud on Wednesday confirmed that the minor girl (Aasma) found dead in Mardan's Gujar Garhi area, was strangled to death, but added that the post-mortem report points towards sexual assault. "It seems that the culprit's intention was to sexually assault [the minor]," he told media here while detailing the incident. The minor's post-mortem also shows signs of torture, the IG said.
Aasma went missing on January 13 from the Gujjar Garhi area and was found dead the next day at 3pm after efforts made by the police and the family, Mehsud said. Her body was reportedly found in sugarcane fields. Police joined the search after being informed of the incident at 9pm on January 13, the IG said. The police on Wednesday arrested as many as 20 suspects, he said.
The IG said that an investigation team, headed by DPO Mardan, has been formed to probe into the case, and take help from the counter-terrorism department. IG Mehsud commenting on the progress in the case said that a daily report is being prepared in the case.
District Nazim Mardan Himayatullah Mayar has claimed that the four-year-old girl, who was found dead in Mardan's Gujar Garhi area Monday morning, was murdered after being raped. The district Nazim said that he has seen the postmortem report with his own eyes and it clearly states that the minor was raped. However, DPO Mardan Mian Saeed negated the claims and said that the girl was strangled to death. He pointed out that the post-mortem report does not point towards rape.