KARACHI: A beggar was arrested for killing his infant girl by causing critical burns to her in order to gather more sympathy from people and thus increase his earning through begging.

Zaman Town SHO Rao Rafiq said the suspect, Chand Mian, was arrested on Thursday on the complaint of Mohammad Manzoor, a maternal uncle of the deceased infant’s mother, Sabiha Bano.

According to the FIR, Chand Mian had taken away the 18-month-old Faiza to somewhere during his routine begging activity on July 26 morning and when he returned home along with her in the night, the infant’s body was found with multiple burns. She succumbed to the critical burns during treatment at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre on Thursday.

Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said it appeared to be a case of chronic child abuse and neglect. The infant was also malnourished and there were multiple burns visible all over her body.

The SHO said that the beggar was also said be a drug addict, adding that he allegedly torched his infant daughter somewhere in Korangi.

His entire family is involved in begging profession and they carried the injured girl along with them for begging in Korangi areas, according to the police officer. He said Faiza’s mother, Sabiha Bano, used to do dressing of her baby’s wounds. She and her mother, Anis Fatima, informed the police that the infant was torched by Chand Mian on July 27 in Mohammadi Colony of Korangi.

Complainant Manzoor alleged that the suspect had been forcing his wife [Sabiha Bano] into begging due to which she had moved to the home of her mother (Anis Fatima).

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2023