Police say the suspect confessed to killing the six-year-old boy after allegedly sexually assaulting him.
A judicial magistrate on Thursday remanded the main suspect in the sexual assault and alleged murder of a six-year-old boy in Karachi’s Old City for five days, after investigators said he confessed to the crime.
The child disappeared Monday evening outside his home and his decomposing body, stuffed in a bag, was found near his home the following night.
Napier police presented the suspect, identified as Hamza, in court under heavy security with his face covered. The investigator requested a 14-day pretrial detention, saying he would need more time to question the suspect. However, the District Judicial Magistrate (South) granted five-day remand and directed the police to submit a progress report in the next hearing.
Read: Suspect arrested after disappearance of 6-year-old boy found raped and murdered in Karachi’s Old City area
Police surgeon Dr Sumaiyya confirmed that the child was sexually assaulted and also suffered a skull fracture.
A complaint was registered at Napier police station following a complaint from the victim’s father. The police initially filed the first information report under Section 3 of the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act, 2018 and Section 364-A (kidnapping or abduction of person under 14 years of age) of the Pakistan Penal Code. However, the investigating officer said sections relating to murder and rape were later added to the FIR.
According to investigators, the suspect was the child’s neighbor and was known to the family. Police said the boy trusted Hamza and often asked him to buy him snacks.
Investigators said the suspect took advantage of a funeral in the neighborhood Monday, when many residents had gathered to watch a resident’s last rites, and lured the child to his apartment.
During his interrogation, the suspect allegedly confessed to sexually assaulting the child and strangling him after he started crying. Investigators further claimed that he admitted to sexually assaulting the child’s body after the murder.
Investigators say the suspect told police he killed the child because he feared the boy might identify him. They said he then stuffed the body in a bag, wrapped it in a blanket and hid it in a cabinet.
Police and residents searched the suspect’s apartment three times after the child disappeared, but were unable to locate the body, investigators said.
Read also: Abducted boy found murdered
Police say the suspect then became alarmed as suspicion grew among residents and joined the search for the missing boy to divert attention away from himself. CCTV footage showed the child had not left the area, prompting investigators to focus on residents of the street.
Police said the suspect then threw the body out of his apartment window in an attempt to dispose of it, where he was spotted by local residents. Officers said the suspect was alone in the apartment when they arrived.
During his interrogation, the suspect claimed that other individuals were involved in the crime. However, investigators said they believed he was making false statements to mislead the investigation. Police are also examining his criminal record and investigating whether he may have been involved in similar offenses against other children.
