Family pokes holes in Hina murder probe

A new development has emerged in the Hina Javed murder case, with the victim's family expressing serious reservations about the police investigation and demanding that the probe be handed over to an independent investigation team. The victim's brother, Fahad Javed, has sent letters to the chairperson of the National Commission for Human Rights, the Ministry of Law and the parliamentary caucus committee, alleging that the investigation was not proceeding in accordance with the FIR and that its direction was being shifted towards a domestic worker instead of the prime suspect. He alleged that key evidence had not been properly preserved and that all messages exchanged between Hina and her sister had been deleted from the victim's mobile phone. According to the letter, a bloodstained sheet recovered from the crime scene was handed over to the victim's father-in-law instead of being taken into police custody. The family questioned why the mobile phone and laptop of the main suspect, Faisal Asghar, had not been seized for forensic examination. They also questioned why the web activity of the main suspect and the domestic worker had not been subjected to forensic analysis. The letter further alleged that the main suspect's room was not properly searched and that no recovery had so far been made from his possession. Statements of key witnesses, including domestic workers, the driver, the suspect's brother Kamil and neighbours, had also allegedly not been recorded. The family expressed concern over the failure to determine the motive for the murder and delays in receiving DNA and other forensic reports. The victim's relatives alleged that her father-in-law, who was nominated in the case, was being given undue concessions and feared that attempts were being made to conceal facts. Fahad Javed demanded that the DNA and other forensic reports be obtained from the Punjab Forensic Science Agency without further delay. Court seeks record Earlier, Additional District and Sessions Judge Rawalpindi Nasir Ahmed adjourned until Sept 14 the hearing of the bail petition of Zeeshan Arshad, a domestic worker arrested in the Hina Javed murder case. He directed the SHO of Civil Lines police station and the investigation officer of the case to produce the complete case record and investigation report before the court at all costs on the next date. The court also expressed strong displeasure over the failure of the SHO and investigation officer to appear before it. When the hearing began, the court was informed that instead of producing the record, the investigation officer had gone to Lahore. Expressing strong displeasure, the court ordered that the SHO must produce the record on the next date and observed that this was an extremely sensitive, high-profile case and no negligence would be tolerated.