Police have recovered a weapon they believe was used in the murder of a 44-year-old Hindu woman last week in Pakistan’s Sindh province.
Daya Bheel’s mutilated body was found on December 27 in a mustard field in Sinjhiro village in Sanghar district in the province, triggering fear and panic amongst the minority Hindu community.
A police team from Hyderabad city in Sindh recovered a sickle, which they believe was used in the murder, the Dawn newspaper reported. The sickle has been sent to the Sindh health department’s laboratory for an examination to ascertain whether it was used in the woman’s murder, the report said.
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A chaddar was also found lying at the scene of the offence, it said. The examination could make investigators know whether the sickle and chaddar had marks of sweating.
Bheel's mutilated body was found after her son Soomar went searching for her in the mustard field. "What is agonising for us (family) is the manner in which she was killed,” Soomar told PTI.
“When my mother didn’t return, we went out to search for her and after hours of search we found her mutilated body in the field,” he added.
Strong reactions to the brutal murder
The incident has sparked an uproar amongst the Hindu community, who staged protests in the Sanghar district demanding prompt police action. Police initially formed a joint investigation team to probe the murder.
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Indian External Affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi also took note of the incident and said that Pakistan should take care of its minorities. "...In the past too we have said that Pakistan should take care of its minorities and fulfil its responsibility of their safety, security and well-being. I would like to reiterate that," Bagchi said at a press conference on Thursday.
Hindus form the biggest minority community in Pakistan. According to official estimates, 75 lakh Hindus live in the country. The majority of Pakistan's Hindu population is settled in Sindh province where they share culture, traditions and language with Muslim residents.
(With inputs from PTI)
