NEWS DESK: Police investigating the rape and murder case of the seven-year-old child who was found dead in a trash heap in Kasur have claimed that the child’s neighbour has confessed to have raped and killed her.

According to the police, the suspect has been identified as Imran Arshad. Police said that his DNA matched with the samples collected, adding that he confessed to the crime during interrogation. Police said the suspect, who is said to be 23 years old, was familiar with Zainab’s family and would also frequent the minor girl’s house. He is a resident of Kot Road, where Zainab also lived in.

Kasur police spokesperson Sajid Ali said the suspect was arrested overnight and has confessed to the crime.

Meanwhile, the father of the deceased child said he was unaware of the arrest of Imran. According to him, Zainab’s uncle suspected that Imran was the culprit. He added that Imran was initially arrested soon after the case was reported but he was set free. The family is unaware of his re-arrest.

The suspect has claimed that he and his father were under the influence of jinns (supernatural spirits). However, the police have said that the suspect was in a mentally stable condition.

On Sunday, a special bench of the Supreme Court heard the rape and murder cases of Zainab and at least eight other children at the registry in Lahore on Sunday. The three-judge bench was headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar who presided over the hearing of the suo motu notice.

During the hearing, the Joint-Investigation Team (JIT) led by RPO Multan Muhammad Idrees presented a report detailing inquiry into the rape and murder cases of the Kasur children. The JIT found it to be eighth such incident within the jurisdiction of three police stations involving the same suspect as per DNA match in Kasur since 2015.

Nevertheless, the Punjab Forensic Laboratory sought more time to reach any conclusion. The court gave them another deadline of three days.

The bench had reprimanded the Kasur police for failing to take notice of crime when it was first reported in 2015. “If the police had taken first case that surfaced in 2015 seriously, eight young girls would not have been raped and murdered.”

JIT members including Chief Secretary Punjab Zahid Saeed, Director-General Punjab Forensic Science Agency Dr Muhammad Ashraf Tahir appeared before the court. Parents of Zainab and other eight victims were also present in the courtroom and demanded justice.