Pakistani serial killer hanged for raping, killing 7-year-old girl
Lahore, Oct 17 : A serial killer of minor girls was executed at a jail in Lahore on Wednesday after he was convicted and sentenced to death by an anti-terrorism court for raping and murdering a seven-year-old girl, in an incident that sparked outrage and violent protests in Pakistan early this year.
Imran Ali, 24, who was convicted for the rape and murder of the minor girl in Kasur city, some 50-km from Lahore, was hanged at 5.30am in the presence of the victim's father Amin Ansari and magistrate Adil Sarwar in Kot Lakhpat Central Jail. The girl's uncle was also present at the jail.
A resident of Kasur, Imran was accused of being involved in at least nine incidents of rape-cum-murder of minors. The court has given its verdict in five cases.
Imran had told police that he committed the heinous crime after he got addicted to sex by watching child pornography.
In January, police arrested Imran through a DNA match two weeks after he raped and killed the minor girl and threw her body into a garbage dump in Kasur.
The incident triggered nation-wide street protests in Pakistan with people demanding a harsh punishment for the convict. Violent protests following the girl's murder claimed two lives in Kasur.
He was sentenced to death in February for the minor girl's rape and murder. His appeals against the verdict failed and earlier this month President Arif Alvi rejected a plea for clemency.
An anti-terrorism court in Lahore last week ruled that Imran's death sentence will be carried out on October 17 at Lahore's Central Jail.
Amin Ansari, the victim's father, filed a petition in the Lahore High Court, seeking public hanging of Imran.
A two-member Lahore High Court bench comprising Justice Sardar Shamim Ahmed and Justice Shahbaz Rizvi on Tuesday dismissed Ansari's plea and ordered Imran's execution in the jail.
Ansari's counsel had also requested the court to allow a live telecast of the hanging inside the jail. The court did not agree and dismissed the plea.
Contingents of police and anti-riot forces surrounded Kot Lakhpat jail at the time of Imran's hanging.
Talking to reporters after Imran's hanging, Ansari said: "Today I am happy to see the murderer of my daughter hanged. The beast met his end."
He said his family is devastated by the loss of his beloved daughter. Ansari regretted that the authorities did not allow the live telecast of the hanging. He, however, thanked the chief justice of Pakistan and said that the "murderer had met his fate today". After the execution, Imran's family accompanied by police contingents took his body to Kasur.
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Cong alleges its Rithala candidate 'assaulted' by EC official
New Delhi, Jan 26 (PTI): The Congress alleged Saturday its Rithala candidate Sushant Mishra was assaulted by a poll official, and demanded a thorough probe into the incident and action against him.
Party general secretary Jairam Ramesh claimed Sushant Mishra was assaulted by an Election Commission of India official on Saturday.
He alleged the official also attempted to prevent Mishra from undertaking a Padayatra for which the Delhi Police had already given permission.
In a post on X, Ramesh said, "@sushant_m has been actively taking up violations of the Model Code of Conduct by other candidates in the ongoing Delhi Vidhan Sabha elections. This unprecedented and illegal act of partisanship by an official of a Constitutional body like the ECI can only be seen as a desperate attempt by the AAP and BJP to stem the surge of support for his candidacy and that of the Congress Party in the Delhi Vidhan Sabha elections"
Ramesh said the Congress remains undaunted and will continue to raise the voice of people and protect the sanctity of elections.
"To preserve the integrity of the electoral process, the Indian National Congress demands a full inquiry into the incident and immediate corrective action against the concerned official," the Congress leader demanded.
Mishra has also separately written to the returning office and Chief Electoral officer and the Election Commission about the incident, demanding action against the accused.
.@INCIndia के रिठाला विधानसभा के उम्मीदवार सुशांत मिश्रा (@sushant_m) पर कल @ECISVEEP के एक अधिकारी ने हमला करके उन्हें घायल कर दिया। अधिकारी ने उन्हें पदयात्रा करने से रोकने का भी प्रयास किया, जिसके लिए दिल्ली पुलिस ने पहले ही अनुमति दे दी थी।
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) January 26, 2025
सुशांत मिश्रा दिल्ली विधानसभा… pic.twitter.com/sQ7I6EIvvY
