July 25, 2022
By Ahmed Saeed
LAHORE: The mother of a 25-year-old Christian woman, who died in mysterious circumstances in Lahore on July 11, has alleged that her daughter was strangled to death by her husband and his parents.
Shamim Akhtar says her daughter Sunita was married to Ehtisham six years years ago. “The couple had two children – eldest son Eric is four years old while daughter Anaya is only one and a half years old,” Shamim Akhtar tells Voicepk.net.
Shamim Akhtar claims that her daughter was being subjected to severe mental pressure by her in-laws for the last two years. “Her mother-in-law taunted Sunita, calling her being ugly, while her husband tortured her every day,” the mother says.
Shamim Akhtar says on July 11 she received a call from Sunita’s father-in-law who told her to immediately come to their house. “Ham say bara nuqsan ho gaya hai(we have caused a huge damage), rush here to our house,” Shamim Akhtar quotes her daughter’s father-in-law as having told her over the phone.
When Shamim Akhtar reached her daughter’s home, she saw Sunita’s dead body sprawled on the bed inside a room. “Sunita’s in-laws claimed that she had committed suicide,” the Christian woman’s mother says.
According to the post-mortem report, there were indications Sunita might have been strangulated to death, given the marks in her neck area. Rope marks were found only on the throat, while there was no such mark on the upper neck, which is usually the case when the asphyxiation is self-inflicted.
According to Mohammad Iqbal, the investigating officer of the case, evidence raises suspicion that Sunita was murdered. The police official says Ehtisham and other family members have joined investigation in the case, adding that statements from Ehtisham and other family members about circumstances leading to Sunita’s death do not corroborate with one another. He says police will take them into custody once initial investigation is completed.
According to Sunita’s brother, the in-laws had bathed her sister’s body to remove any incriminating evidence before their arrival there. “Sunita’s hair were wet and there was water on the floor in the room,” he says.
Ehtisham and his father and mother, who all have been accused of Sunita’s murder, have denied any role in her death. All three of them gave different versions of the events and circumstances leading to the death while speaking with Voicepk.net.
Eric and Anaya are most depressed after the death of their mother. Their father is under police investigation and family members have expressed reluctance in taking care of the young children. Eric is staying with his maternal uncle while Anaya is being taken care of by a relative of her father.
The children’s maternal grandmother wants custody of both the children but present circumstances do not permit that.
Shamim Akhtar says that she wants justice for her daughter, but she is depressed because of her limited financial resources. She appealed to the government to bring the perpetrators of her daughter’s murder to justice.