Lodhran Man Sentenced to Death for Poisoning Wife and Three Children
By Zeeshan Naseem :
A local court has sentenced a man to death on four counts for poisoning his wife and three children in 2023, in a case that shocked the community and exposed a horrific domestic crime.
Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Ayaz announced the verdict on Saturday, convicting Saghir Abbas under four separate murder charges. The court also imposed a fine of Rs200,000 on the accused.
The Crime
According to prosecution details, Abbas poisoned his wife Rukhsana Bibi and their three children—Ghayoor Fatima, Muhammad Anas, and Muhammad Fawad—at their residence in Gulshan-e-Madina Colony in February 2023. Following the killings, he kept the bodies inside the house for several days, allowing them to decompose.
The crime came to light when neighbours alerted police after noticing a foul stench emanating from the locked house. Officers from City Police Station Lodhran forced entry and discovered the decomposed remains inside.
Family’s Account
The deceased woman’s sister, Razia Bibi, told investigators that her sister had been married to Abbas for approximately 20 to 22 years. The couple had four children, including a teenage daughter and three sons. The family had recently moved to Lodhran from their ancestral village near Jalalpur Pirwala.
Razia became concerned after being unable to contact her sister for two to three weeks. On February 26, 2023, she visited the house and found the door locked from inside. When Abbas opened the door, he appeared nervous and fled as relatives entered.
A strong odour led them to a room where the bodies of three children lay on mattresses in an advanced state of decomposition. Searching further, the family discovered Rukhsana Bibi’s body on a charpoy on the rooftop. The condition of the bodies suggested they had been dead for over a week.
Razia alleged that the accused had an interest in amulets and black magic and expressed her firm belief that he had poisoned the victims.
Legal Proceedings
Police registered an FIR under Sections 302 and 337 of the Pakistan Penal Code and arrested the accused. After completing the investigation, authorities submitted a challan to the trial court based on what prosecutors described as solid evidence.
Following the trial, the court handed down separate death sentences for each of the four murders.
District Police Officer Captain (retd) Ali Bin Tariq welcomed the verdict, stating that the conviction resulted from professional investigation and strong prosecution. He called it “a victory for justice” and reaffirmed that ensuring strict punishment in heinous crimes and delivering justice to affected families remains the top priority of the police.
The convicted man has the right to appeal the sentence in higher courts.
About Author
