Surjani Town suspect tried to sexually assault woman before killings: DIG West

• DIG identifies suspect as New Karachi resident Humayun.
• Police continue searching for murder weapon: DIG Baloch.
• House remains sealed to preserve crime scene.
  

The suspect arrested in connection with the killing of a woman and her three children in Surjani Town attempted to sexually assault the victim and attacked her with an iron rod after she resisted, West Zone DIG Irfan Baloch said on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference in Karachi, the senior police officer said the suspect, identified as Humayun, remained inside the family's house for around two hours, from 2pm to 4pm, on the day of the killings.

The case came to light on Monday when the bodies of 34-year-old Mehwish and her three minor children were found inside their home in Sector 7-D of Surjani Town.

Police subsequently launched an investigation to determine the motive behind the killings and identify those responsible. Post-mortem examinations later found multiple head injuries on all four victims.

According to Baloch, Humayun was a resident of New Karachi and worked in the catering business. He allegedly travelled to Surjani Town on a Qingqi and switched off his mobile phone before reaching the area.

The DIG said the suspect attempted to sexually assault Mehwish but struck her with an iron rod when she resisted.

He said the suspect used the same rod in the killings and later threw it into a drain at around 6pm while returning home. Police were still searching for the alleged murder weapon, he added.

Baloch further claimed that the suspect returned to the crime scene after police arrived there.

According to the DIG, Humayun also attempted to paint the incident as robbery by removing children's clothes from a cupboard and scattering them inside a room.

The officer said Mehwish's mobile phone had yet to be recovered and remained an important lead in the investigation.

Police believed the device was removed from the house after the killings and were examining all possible aspects linked to its disappearance, he added.

Forensic, digital evidence examined

A murder case was registered against unidentified suspects, while investigators pursued multiple lines of inquiry to identify those involved.

Police completed geo-fencing of the area and obtained call detail records to analyse the movements and communications of suspects around the time of the incident, according to officials.

Investigators also examined CCTV footage, fingerprint evidence, blood samples and other material collected from the crime scene, while forensic and chemical examination reports were awaited.

The missing mobile phone was treated as a key lead, with investigators seeking data linked to Mehwish's SIM card in an effort to reconstruct communications before the killings.

Victims laid to rest

The four victims were laid to rest on Tuesday after legal and medical formalities were completed.

Earlier in the investigation, police said they suspected that someone familiar with the family could be involved in the killings. An eight-member investigation team was subsequently formed to probe the case.

The house where the bodies were discovered remained sealed as investigators continued to process evidence and reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the killings.

Police said the investigation remained underway.