Kasur rape-murder case: Faith healer hangs self

A faith healer, who was earlier held in connection with the murder and rape of a seven-year-old girl in Kasur, was found hanging from a ceiling fan at his house, under unknown circumstances near Lahore on Monday.

The incident took place at Peerowal Road, about 280 km from Lahore.

According to The Express Tribune, the devotees of Baba Shabir found him hanging and had informed the police.

On receiving information, police reached the spot and shifted the body to D.H.Q. hospital for autopsy.

According to his nephew Muhammad Umer, Shabir had become depressed after being held in connection with the death of the seven-year-old minor, who was raped and murdered before her body was dumped on a trash heap in Kasur earlier this month.

Pakistani authorities on Thursday termed the accused of rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl, Imran Ali, as a potential serial killer.

A special anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Wednesday placed Imran in police remand for 14 days. He will be presented again before the court on February 8.

During the hearing, Imran admitted to killing and raping eight more girls in Kasur.

The Geo TV reported that Judge Sajjad Ali allowed a 14-day long physical remand to give time to the police to match Imran's DNA with seven other victims.

The minor, who was a resident of the Kasur district of Pakistan's Punjab province, was kidnapped on her way to a tuition centre on January 4.

Five days after her disappearance, she was found raped, dead and buried in a garbage dump on January 9 near Kashmir Chowk.

According to the initial post-mortem report, the minor was strangled to death after being raped multiple times.

As per the autopsy, the girl had marks of torture on nose, neck, and other parts of the body, the report said.

This incident incited huge protests in Kasur and other major cities of Pakistan.