Police in Karachi have claimed to have solved the murder of a woman and her three children in Surjani Town within days of the incident, after identifying and arresting a former tenant with the help of neighbouring witnesses.
Follow Times of Karachi on Google News and add as a preferred Source on Google
The incident took place on September 14 at a house in 7-D Surjani Town, where 34-year-old Mehwish Danish and her three children, identified as eight-year-old Mirhad, six-year-old Hasnain and 18-month-old Ashmeera, were found dead.
According to police, Mehwish’s husband, Muhammad Danish Qureshi, returned home at around 8pm after completing his work as an electrician at a shopping mall and discovered his family dead.
DIG West Irfan Baloch said investigators identified Muhammad Humayun Khan with the assistance of two neighbours who allegedly saw him entering and leaving the house around the time of the killings.
Police subsequently arrested Humayun and questioned him as part of the investigation.
According to the police account, Humayun had previously lived at the house as a tenant for about one and a half years. Investigators alleged that Danish had asked him to leave after becoming concerned about his behaviour towards Mehwish.
Police further alleged that Humayun attacked the family with an iron rod after Mehwish resisted his alleged sexual advances. These allegations remain part of the police version and will be examined through the legal process.
Muhammad Danish Qureshi was initially taken into custody while police investigated the deaths. Police later said they found no evidence linking him to the killings and determined that he was not involved.
The victims’ family also cooperated with investigators during the inquiry.
DIG West Irfan Baloch personally supervised a special investigation team and the crime scene unit as officers collected evidence from the house and attempted to reconstruct the sequence of events.
On September 17, police said Humayun was taken to a nullah near Saiful Mari Goth in Surjani Town to recover the iron rod allegedly used in the killings.
According to police, Humayun allegedly snatched the pistol of Police Constable Abdul Samad during the recovery operation and opened fire while attempting to escape. ASI Noman Shaikh was injured by a bullet in his right arm, police said.
Police further claimed that officers returned fire, killing Humayun at the scene.
The circumstances of the encounter and the suspect’s death remain based on the official police account and are subject to the relevant legal and investigative processes.
The killings drew widespread attention in Karachi, with photographs of the victims, footage connected to the investigation and images of the injured police officer circulating on social media.
The case also attracted attention because police said they were able to identify the suspect without relying on CCTV footage. Instead, investigators said they used statements from neighbouring witnesses along with other evidence collected from the crime scene.
Police have presented the case as having been solved within days of the killings. However, the allegations against the deceased suspect and the circumstances surrounding the encounter remain part of the official account and must be considered in light of further investigation and legal proceedings.
