August 31, 2024
By Shaukat Korai
KARACHI:
Eight-year-old Ganga, a resident of Karachi, was recently murdered while searching for medicine for her ailing mother.
Ganga lived in a makeshift settlement, where her parents struggled to make ends meet. As the youngest child, she was deeply loved by her family. Her mother, Mangti, who is ill due to substandard living conditions, is more devastated by her daughter’s loss than by her own illness. She is determined to seek justice for Ganga.
The lifeless body of the child was found near Lucky Star. CCTV footage shows two suspects attempting to abduct Ganga before fleeing on a motorcycle. The police claim to have arrested one suspect based on the footage. However, Ganga’s father, Hari Chand, remains skeptical. “The real culprit must be brought before the court of law at the earliest,” he says.
The police have arrested a suspect, Waqar, who is currently in custody under a five-day physical remand ordered by the court. Analytical reports are still pending. According to Waqar’s lawyer, Shakeel Ashiq Channa, the charges currently include abduction and murder, but not sexual assault, which may be added later after examining DNA tests and other evidence.
Waqar claims he is not the person seen in the CCTV footage and alleges that the police tortured him into confessing. The judicial magistrate of Karachi’s southern district has ordered a written report to be submitted at the end of the remand period.
Ganga’s family, belonging to the Bagri community of Sindh, an indigenous group, has voiced their frustrations. They say that while politicians seek their votes during elections, none from the ruling party have offered help after their child’s murder.