Shutter-down in Chichawatni after 'rape', murder of mentally retarded girl

SAHIWAL: A complete shutter-down strike was observed in Chichawatni tehsil of Sahiwal district on Tuesday against the cold-blooded murder of an eight-year-old mentally retarded girl, after alleged sexual assault.

Noor Fatima, a resident of Mohammadabad, was set ablaze after being subjected to sexual assault, according to her parents.

The minor girl had gone missing on Sunday evening and later she was found unconscious with burn injuries.

She was taken to a hospital in Lahore for medical treatment, where she died of burn injuries on Monday.

Schools, shops and other businesses remained closed in protest against the police over failure to arrest the culprit behind the grisly murder.

The legal fraternity of the city also boycotted court proceedings, demanding immediate arrest of the culprit.

The victim’s parents claim their daughter was immolated after being subjected to sexual assault.

The police, however, are awaiting the report of her medical examination to establish whether she was raped.

A first information report (FIR) has been registered against unidentified persons on the complaint of the deceased girl’s family.

The police have also constituted special teams to ensure the arrest of the culprits.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif took notice of the incident and directed the IG Punjab to ensure that the culprits are brought to justice at the earliest.