Main suspect Pir Asad Shah Jeelani behind bars for allegedly torturing his 10-year-old maid Fatima Furiro to death. Twitter photo

The Khairpur Police of Sindh province in Pakistan have arrested Pir Asad Shah Jeelani, a member of the influential Pirs of Ranipur, for allegedly torturing his 10-year-old maid Fatima Furiro to death.

The alleged brutal murder of the 10-year-old child sparked condemnation across Pakistan after video clips of the deceased child went viral on social media.

Claims about her death transpiring as a result of torture came to fore when videos of a girl bearing torture marks went viral. It was not known who leaked the videos. These videos were obtained by the police team, which also met some social activists from the area.

Meanwhile, local people in the areas, besides many across the country, have strongly condemned the Pirs of Ranipur over the alleged crime that resulted in the death of a 10-year-old child.

The issue initially came to light when a video of Furiro’s body bearing severe torture marks surfaced online. In the video, the seriously injured girl is seen struggling to sit up on her bed but soon collapses.

Furiro is stated to be the daughter of Nadeem Ali Tharro, resident of village Ali Muhammad Tharro, Khanawahan, near Mehrabpur, District Nausharoferoz. The family is thought to be followers of the Pir of Ranipur.

Acting on the social media video, Sukkur Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Javed Soonharo Jiskani directed Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shikarpur Rohal Khan Khoso and Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mohammad Nauman Zaffar to investigate the case.

Consequently, Khoso and Zaffar visited Ali Mohammad Furiro’s village to record the statements of the child’s parents, who were initially hesitant to record a statement against the Pir but later agreed to report the influential family. The parents had initially attributed the child’s death to illness.

Furiro’s mother Shabana said that Furiro, along with her two other daughters, were hired by Pir Niaz Shah of Ranipur as housemaids. Out of them, Furiro was assigned to work at the Haveli of Pir Asad Shah, where she was found dead.

Talking to the media, Shabana said that her minor daughter was subjected to the worst form of torture for many days by the Pirs of Ranipur and that she had died due to multiple injuries.

Following the registration of a first information report (FIR), the police arrested Pir Asad Shah. The Ranipur Police have lodged the FIR under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) on the complaint of the deceased child’s mother.

The accused denied murdering the child and said the girl had complained of a pain in her stomach and she was being treated at his home. He has claimed that she died during the treatment. The accused, Pir Asad Shah, has also demanded a fair inquiry, and termed the case a conspiracy hatched up to tarnish his family’s name.