ugc_banner

Kasur rape and murder convict gets 12 more death sentences in Pakistan

PTI
Lahore, PakistanUpdated: Aug 05, 2018, 09:13 PM IST
main img
Representative image Photograph:(Zee News Network)

The convict in a high-profile rape and murder case of a minor girl in Pakistan's Kasur city was given 12 more death sentences by a special anti-terrorism court here in another three cases of child sexual abuse.

Imran Ali, who was already awarded four counts of the death penalty, one life term, 7-year jail term and Rs 4.1 million in fines back in February for raping and murdering the seven-year-old girl, had confessed sexually abusing at least another eight girls, Dawn newspaper reported.

The anti-terrorism court's (ATC) judge Sajjad Ahmed yesterday awarded 23-year-old Ali, currently incarcerated and on death row for the rape and murder of the minor girl, the death penalty on 12 more counts for the rape and murder of three other girls, the report said.

He was also fined Rs 6 million out of which Rs 3 million were directed to be handed to the families of the victims as 'blood money'.

Ali who reportedly confessed to his crime, said: "I regret for my act. I became a pervert after having an addiction of watching child pornography on Internet," a law officer quoted him as having said.

His arrest brought to light eight more such killings in Kasur. The prosecution charged him with the murder and rape of another three girls and presented witnesses in this regard. The ages of the three victims were five, seven and eight.

Ali, also a resident of Kasur, is said to be involved in at least nine incidents of rape-cum-murder of minors. 

The minor girl's father Muhammad Amin Ansari had expressed satisfaction over the verdict but demanded public hanging. He recently has filed a petition in the Lahore High Court demanding public hanging of the suspect. 

"The murderer of my daughter should be hanged where he had killed her," Ansari said.

"We want that the suspect should be stoned to death for his crime as hanging in jail is a punishment which is given to other criminals but this beast deserves either public hanging or stoned to death," the girl's mother said.

The Lahore High Court had rejected Ali's plea challenging his death sentence handed to him in February in which he claimed his trial was not fair. Earlier this year, the rape and murder of the minor girl in Kasur had sparked outrage and protests across the country. The murder drew nationwide outrage and condemnation and triggered violent protests that claimed two lives. 

Ali was nabbed by authorities on January 23 following a DNA-match.

He was found to be a serial killer and had confessed to his crimes on the day of his indictment that came through the Lahore High Court (LHC).

On February 17, he was given a death sentence for abduction, rape and murder in the Kasur girl case.