The medical board has found torture marks on several body parts of Fatima, a 10-year-old who died while serving at the house of an influential religious leader in Sindh’s Ranipur, sources said.

The medical board found wounds on her neck, abdomen, and arms after the postmortem examination was completed, they added.

The samples taken from the body of the minor maid will be sent to a laboratory for examination and the results will likely return in around one month.

Earlier, Fatima’s body was exhumed for an autopsy. When the body was raised out of the grave, Fatima’s father broke into tears having seen it.

The exhumation was performed under the supervision of Kandiaro’s judicial magistrate. A five-member medical team was also present at the scene.

The grave site was covered with tents and journalists were kept at bay. A medical board conducted the autopsy to determine the cause of death.

After the postmortem examination, the body was reburied. The medical team also took samples from the deceased’s body for further investigations.

Fatima died on August 17

Fatima died on August 17, in Asad Shah’s house in the Ranipur taluka of the Khairpur district. Initial reports claimed she was killed and that marks of torture were found on her body.

She was buried without a post-marten examination but shortly after the burial, a video surfaced on social media showing marks on her body.

Another CCTV video showed her in a room writhing in pain as she lay on the floor. A man was seen sleeping in the bed in the same room, where two women arrived to check on the girl. There were allegations of rape.

Asad Shah was arrested after mainstream media, especially Aaj News, reported the issue. Before his arrest, Shah addressed a press conference and denied all the allegations, saying Fatima had fallen sick.

He said the family treated their servants as family members and allowed them to sleep in their air-conditioned rooms.

People gather near the grave of Fatima as a team carries out exhumation in Ranipur. Aaj News

Police also arrested the local SHO and a dispenser at Ranipur Hospital.

Police sources stated that the police shifted the dispenser to an unknown place after Asad Shah revealed that he used to come to his home to treat Fatima.

The authorities decided to exhume the body and the Sindh health department formed a three-member medical board. Another two doctors were added on Friday.

Source: Aaj News