KARACHI: Police on Thursday charge-sheeted a man and his former wife for killing his second wife in Orangi Town.

Police booked Abid and his former wife Sana for burning to death Reshma, who succumbed to her wounds on May 2.

On Thursday, the investigating officer of the case filed an interim charge sheet before judicial magistrate (West) Shafqat Hussain Solangi.

In the charge sheet, it was mentioned that victim Reshma was under treatment for burn wounds at the Civil Hospital Karachi, where she recorded her statement under Section 161 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

He quoted the victim as saying that her husband Abid had previously married Sana and they had two children, but he divorced her.

Reshma further said that later he married her. However, after some time, Abid wanted to remarry Sana, she added.

The charge sheet further stated that upon knowing about Abid’s intentions of remarrying his ex-wife, Reshma opposed the decision and therefore they quarrelled over the issue.

The victim added that on the day of the incident, on April 28, Sana came to their home in the afternoon.

Abid asked Reshma to boil water for him to take a bath, which she did and became busy in cooking.

The victim claimed that after some time Sana suddenly came in the kitchen and threw the boiling water on her with the intention to kill her.

Reshma said she suffered burn wounds on her whole body and ran to the house of a neighbour to save her life, the charge sheet stated. The neighbours took her to the Civil Hospital for treatment.

Later, Sana escaped allegedly after stealing Rs100,000 cash from the victim’s house, the charge sheet stated. The victim was under treatment at the CHK, where she succumbed to her wounds on May 2.

The IO stated that suspect Sana was taken into custody, who during interrogation disclosed that Abid had contacts with her despite their divorce, adding that he had promised to remarry her.

The suspect further stated that Abid was also living with Reshma for the last four or five years without marriage. She stated that to hush up his offence, Abid took a cleric to hospital to solemnise nikah with Reshma while she was under treatment.

The IO stated that in the light of the statements of suspect Sana, the victim Reshma and other witnesses and circumstantial evidence, the offence of attempt to murder with common intention had been proved against Sana and Abid.

Therefore, he requested the judge to accept the interim charge sheet and sought time for filing the final one after completion of the investigation. Allowing the request, the judge granted time to IO for submitting final charge sheet till Aug 9.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2021