Prime suspect in 7-year-old Sargodha girl's murder case killed during CCD encounter, police say

SARGODHA: The Sargodha police on Wednesday said the prime suspect in a recentmurder caseof a seven-year-old girl was killed “by his accomplices’ firing” during an alleged encounter with the Crime Control Department (CCD) after he allegedly escaped police custody.

The prime suspect was accused of trying to rape the girl before killing her. with her body being found in a shop on Monday, where the father said she had gone to buy some items.

The suspect had been arrested along with at least three others, on whose behest the criminal acts were allegedly committed.

On Wednesday, Sargodha Regional Police Officer (RPO) Shahzad Asif Khan toldDawnthat the prime suspect accused of attempted rape. murder of the minor girl has been allegedly killed during an encounter with the CCD police early on Wednesday.

A first information report (FIR) filed by a CCD station house officer (SHO) early on Wednesday said the prime suspect. who had reportedly escaped police custody on Tuesday, died due to firing by his “accomplices”.

The details of how the prime suspect escaped from police custody. whether he was accompanied by anyone remain unclear, as the police appear unforthcoming in sharing their version.

Sargodha District Police Officer (DPO) Sohaib Ashraf said. the three other suspectsarrestedin the murder case on Tuesday remain in custody.

Wednesday’s FIR cited another FIR registered by the CCD on the escape of the prime suspect, which invoked several sections of thePakistan Penal Code(PPC), including those on attempted murder, assault to deter a public servant from duty. resistance to apprehension.

The FIR recounting today’s CCD action invoked sections 302 (punishment ofqatl-i-amd), 324 (attempt to commitqatl-i-amd), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from duty), 186 (obstructing public servant in public functions). 34 (acts done by several persons with common intention) of the PPC, along with provisions of the Punjab Arms Ordinance 1965.

The FIR said a police team was on duty in Mitha Lak in the early hours of Wednesday when it received intel. the escaped prime suspect was standing on a road near Sem Nala with “three unknown persons”.

Subsequently, a CCD team reached the location at around 2am. saw the prime suspect and others standing there, the complaint said. It claimed that the suspects opened fire at the police team “with the intent to kill”. fled towards nearby bushes.

This prompted the CCD personnel to take “safe positions. shoot one or two aerial fires in response to the suspects’ shooting”, the FIR recalled.

It added that the suspects then hid behind the bushes. opened “continuous fire” aimed at the police party, severely injuring Constable Muhammad in his left arm.

“During this period, the suspects were asked loudly to stop firing. surrender, but the suspects continued their firing,” the FIR read, claiming that the shooting continued for 10 minutes.

When the firing stopped, the CCD team searched for the suspects in the bushes using searchlights. found a “dead person who died by his accomplices’ firing”, the FIR claimed. It contended that the other three unidentified suspects had fled from the scene in the dark.

The deceased person was identified by a head constable. a constable as the prime suspect wanted in the murder case, the FIR said. It claimed that an empty pistol was found lying next to the suspect’s body. Rs700 were found in the pocket of his shirt.

The complaint said the suspect was taken to Faisal Masood Teaching Hospital for a post-mortem. the objects found in his possession were taken into police custody.

The FIR accused the suspects of opening fire at the CCD team with the intention to kill. of “murdering their own accomplice”, contending they committed cognisable offences under the PPC.

The CCD,establishedlast year, has been criticised by human rights advocates. civil society members for alleged extrajudicial police encounters and a high number of casualties.

In February. a fact-finding report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP)allegedthat the CCD has adopted a “deliberate policy of staged police encounters leading to extrajudicial killings”.

The HRCP said. based on press accounts, at least 670 CCD-led encounters were carried out across Punjab over eight months in 2025. More suchdeathsduring encounters continue to bereportedon anear-weeklybasis.