Poverty, domestic pressure behind Ichhra triple murder, says police

LAHORE: Senior police officials have said that poverty and domestic pressure were the main motives behind the Ichhra triple murder case, in which a mother allegedly killed her three children.

Three young siblings were found brutally murdered inside their home in the Ichhra area of Lahore on Thursday, police said.

Initial reports suggested conflicting motives, including claims that the mother, Rida, had developed an online friendship with a man named Shehryar and allegedly intended to divorce her husband, Ramzan, and marry him. Some reports also claimed the children were seen as an obstacle in that plan.

However, the investigating officer has rejected these claims, stating that no evidence of an extramarital relationship or love affair has been found as the motive.

He also revealed the details of how the police cracked the case.

Speaking to a YouTube channel, DSP Qamar Abbas of the Investigation Wing, Gulberg Lahore, said the investigation initially began when certain inconsistencies were noticed in the family’s statements.

The couple had claimed they left the children at home after locking the door while they went out briefly and returned within 15 to 20 minutes.

Read More: Lahore Ichhra case: Mother’s alleged motive behind child killings revealed

He said a key suspicion arose when the parents stated that two of the deceased children were found holding knives, which investigators found unusual and inconsistent, pointing toward possible family involvement rather than an external attacker.

According to DSP Qamar Abbas, this led investigators to focus on the family, and through sustained questioning, the suspect eventually confessed.

He claimed this may be one of the fastest solved murder cases in Punjab’s history, with police cracking the case within hours.

During interrogation, police said poverty emerged as the primary motive. The family of seven was living in a small rented flat, while the husband’s monthly income was around Rs30,000, making it difficult to meet basic household needs.

The officer further said the husband allegedly pressured the wife to seek financial help from her parents, who were also poor. He added that tensions escalated after a dispute with the mother-in-law and verbal abuse from the husband.

Police also said the accused woman claimed she was subjected to severe domestic pressure and alleged mistreatment.