- Rida, remained in regular contact with man identified as Shehryar: police.
- Police believe suspect intended to divorce her husband and marry Shehryar.
- Police say claims are part of inquiry and have yet to be proven in court.
An investigation into the killing of three minor siblings in Lahore’s Ichhra has taken a significant turn, with police probing the suspected involvement of their mother and her alleged connections to a man in Jhang.
The suspect allegedly murdered her two daughters and a son earlier this week.
According to investigators, the prime suspect, Rida, had been in regular contact with a man identified as Shehryar via WhatsApp and phone calls, with financial transactions also traced between the two through mobile applications. Police believe she intended to divorce her husband, Ramzan, and marry Shehryar, with her children seen as an obstacle to that plan. Officials, however, stressed that these claims are part of an ongoing inquiry and have yet to be proven in court.
Authorities initially detained Ramzan but later released him after finding no direct link to the crime. Shehryar is also expected to be questioned as the investigation progresses.
In a key development, CCTV footage shows the suspect leaving the house shortly after the incident, appearing composed as she stepped outside, surveyed the area and then departed. Investigators estimate the killings occurred before 10am, with preliminary evidence indicating an attempt to tamper with the crime scene.
Separately, a court has remanded the accused in police custody for five days for further interrogation.
Police said the suspect initially tried to deflect blame onto her in-laws and gave misleading statements at the scene, claiming she had been unwell and that the children were alive when she left the house. However, inconsistencies in her account, along with call detail records, led to a breakthrough, after which she allegedly confessed to the crime.
Officials added that forensic results are awaited, and a final determination will be made once the investigation is complete.
The gruesome triple murder came to light when the police received a call about three children found dead in their house on Thursday (April 23). The police rushed to the scene and recovered the bodies of victims identified as five-year-old Momina Batool, four-year-old Momin Raza, and one-and-a-half-year-old Ume Habiba
Earlier, the prime suspect told the police in her initial statement that she “murdered” her children because her husband frequently questioned the “legitimacy” of the children, which led her to such a horrific act. She also claimed that she planned to commit suicide after the murders.
