Police claim to have arrested Ali Raza, the husband of Sania Zehra, a 20-year-old pregnant mother of two found whose body was found hanging in her home near Kumharanwala Chowk, New Multan on July 9.
The police investigation apparently led to the arrest of Ali Raza, who is now in custody. The suspect was arrested as soon as he left the Multan Press Club after holding a press conference refuting all the allegations against him.
In the press conference, Ali Raza alleged that the police was abusing him in the name of investigation. He claimed that his sister's house had been ransacked and damaged in the name of searching.
"Innocent people are being arrested, Ali Raza claimed, alleging that his wife, Sania Zehra, hanged herself. He further said his father-in-law misled people by accusing him of slashing his wife's tongue. "If there was such a thing, why was nothing proved in the post-mortem report?"
Raza also rubbished the allegation of greed for property as baseless, adding that his in-laws knew Sania was his second wife.
Also Read: Murdered pregnant girl's body exhumed; case filed against husband, in-laws
At the end of the press conference, police arrested the suspect. Following his arrest, Ali Raza was taken by the police to an undisclosed location for further questioning.
On July 13, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif took notice of the tragic incident of Sania's alleged brutal murder at the hands of her husband, Ali Raza.
Sania's body was found hanging from a fan at her in-laws' house on July 9, prompting the chief minister to seek a detailed report from the Multan city police officer. Her body was later exhumed on court orders, and medical samples sent to the forensic laboratory.
Dr Munazzah, in charge of anti-violence for women, stated that the Punjab government exhumed Sania Zehra's body to collect samples for forensic analysis. Following a complaint from Sania's father, Asad Abbas, a case was registered against her husband and his family. The suspect was on the run.
"My daughter was killed at night and hanged in the morning to make it look like a suicide," Abbas claimed. "A police scene was then created around the case. I appeal to the Punjab government and the district administration that the post-mortem has been completed. My daughter was tortured and hanged; I want justice."
The exhumation was conducted in the presence of a magistrate, and the medical samples sent to Lahore for forensic analysis. The New Multan police station has assured that the suspects will be arrested soon.
