Chunian child rapist-murderer awarded death sentence three times

CHUNIAN: A special court on Tuesday awarded a child rapist-murderer the death sentence three times, alongside a life sentence on one count and a fine worth Rs3.2 million, for one of the horrific killings earlier this year.

The anti-terrorism court's (ATC) Judge, Muhammad Iqbal, handed down the verdict to the 27-year-old rickshaw driver over the murder of only one of the four children, whose remains were recovered back in September.

The cases of the remaining minors were still pending.

The terror and outrage following the news, which had fuelled protests and seen daily activities in Kasur brought to a standstill, had led to Prime Minister Imran Khan ordering a major overhaul in the local police set-up. Zahid Nawaz Marwat was appointed as the new district police officer (DPO) for Kasur as part of the shuffle.

Also read: Missing children's remains found, at least three were raped

The case had brought the law enforcement agencies, government, and experienced police officers together, with check-posts popping up in the town, door-to-door inspection search of thousands of houses, profiling of 904 rickshaw drivers profiled, detention of 3,117 suspected individuals, and DNA tests of 1,471 people.

After results from the DNA tests were released, Suhail Shahzad, a 27-year-old rickshaw driver, was arrested as his DNA matched. Shahzad was arrested on October 1 and confessed during initial questioning to sexually abusing and killing all four children — 12-year-old Imran, eight-year-old Ali Hasnain and Faizan, and seven-year-old Salman.

Related: Major overhaul in Kasur police as child abuse cases continue

Only Faizan's complete body had been recovered, whereas the bones of the two others were found in sand dunes in the Chunian Industrial Area. The death sentence awarded to Shahzad over the rape and murder of Faizan.

Following the recovery of the four bodies on September 17, the inspector-general of police (IGP) for Punjab, Arif Nawaz Khan, had said there seemed to be similarities in the incidents of child abduction and murder. Prior to that, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar had taken notice of the incident and summoned a report.

Read more: Chunian child rapist-murderer's statement recorded by magistrate

The grisly case had sparked protests across the city, with protesters shutting down shops and transport in some areas and the city's trade association, as well as the local bar association, calling for a strike.

Shortly after his arrest, Shahzad had been presented to Judicial Magistrate Bushra Farid under strict security and was sent to jail after his confession statement was recorded and his 36-day remand completed.

Related:

Punjab recorded an alarming 126 cases of child sexual abuse in seven months

New Kasur DPO faces tough battle in rape-murder cases amid locals' lack of trust