DPO Abbottabad reveals Rs3m paid for abduction, killing of Dr Warda

• Money-laundering suspicions surface in probe.
• Police allege Rs3m paid for Warda’s abduction, murder.
• Waheed, Rida and Nadeem flagged for FIA scrutiny.

ABBOTTABAD: District Police Officer (DPO) Abbottabad Haroon Rasheed has asked the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to probe the money trail in the murder of Dr Warda Mushtaq, saying the accused allegedly paid Rs3 million for her abduction and killing, raising suspicion of possible money-laundering.

He has sought financial records of the nominated accused Rida Jadoon, Abdul Waheed, the husband of prime suspect Jadoon, and Nadeem, including complete details of any unusual or suspicious transactions, information on any prior money-laundering inquiries against them, and their travel history, restrictions and watch-list status. 

Terming the matter "extremely sensitive", the DPO stressed that timely information from the FIA was essential for further legal proceedings.

The development comes as investigators continue to probe the killing of Dr Warda, a medical officer at Abbottabad’s DHQ Hospital, who was abducted outside the facility on December 4 and killed barely an hour later, according to the DPO. Her body was recovered four days after she went missing.

According to the MS DHQ Hospital, the post-mortem examination has been completed. Sources said Dr Warda had been serving at the DHQ Hospital and, with her husband abroad, was living at home with her children.

Sources said that around the time of her planned departure abroad, she was worried about 67 tolas of gold in her possession. A female suspect, identified as her friend Rida Jadoon, allegedly gained her confidence and persuaded her to deposit the 67 tolas with her as an amanat (safekeeping). Police later found that the gold had been pawned elsewhere and that Rs5 million had already been obtained against it.

In the murder case, police have so far arrested three suspects: prime suspect Rida Jadoon, her employee Nadeem, and Pervaiz, who is a relative of Nadeem. Another key suspect, Shamraiz, Nadeem’s uncle, remains at large. 

Sources said the arrested suspects are related to one another and belong to the same village from which Dr Warda’s body was recovered, while police have conducted raids at multiple locations, including Peshawar, to arrest the absconding suspect.

According to investigators, the suspects first took Dr Warda to an under-construction house in Jinnahabad. DPO Rasheed earlier told a press conference that she was strangled to death and killed barely an hour after being abducted, before her body was taken and buried near Thandiani. He said both vehicles used in the crime have been seized.

Police say the suspects had gained Dr Warda’s trust, particularly Rida, and had her gold stored with them. On the day she was murdered, they made her write cheques which were later presented at the bank but bounced, while she had already been killed within an hour of her abduction. 

The three arrested suspects have been produced before the Anti-Terrorism Court, which approved a three-day physical remand after investigators had requested 15 days, and police have added Abdul Waheed, Rida’s husband, to the case as one of the nominated accused.

Earlier, the authorities had decided to form a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe the alleged murder. A letter was dispatched to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary after approval from Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, proposing that the JIT be led by a senior civil officer of the provincial government and include representatives from the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), Special Branch, Abbottabad Police and the prosecution.

The letter notes that Dr Warda went missing on December 4, with a first information report (FIR) registered on December 5, and reiterates that she had handed over 67 tolas of gold to a fellow doctor, after which a dispute arose when it was not returned. It states that the suspect kidnapped and killed her and hid the body in the forest, arguing that a JIT is necessary to ensure a comprehensive, independent and multi-agency inquiry.

The JIT request is based on the post-mortem report, which, according to the letter, concludes that Dr Warda died of strangulation and suffocation. The report also notes that her neck was broken, scratches were present on her right shoulder, arm and palm, and there was swelling in her eyes along with bleeding from the nose.