Muhammad Yousaf

Case overview

Muhammad Yousaf was convicted in a notorious murder case registered by the Muradpur Police. He was sentenced to death on June 15, 2011.

The case involved the kidnapping and killing of elderly women and the looting of gold ornaments and other valuables. Police said he targeted elderly women and single women by approaching them with offers of financial support and then taking them to remote and deserted areas before killing them with blunt tools, bricks, stones, blunt weapons, or by strangulation.

Timeline

• September 17 — Khurshida Baigum (65) was kidnapped from her house in Pakka Garha locality of Sialkot city.
• September 30, 2010 — Police claimed to have arrested Muhammad Yousaf for murders of 12 poor and old women.
• September 22, 2010 — Police in Sialkot city arrested a serial killer on charges of robbing and murdering 25 elderly women over the last year.
• June 15, 2011 — District & Sessions Judge Manzoor Hussain Dogar sentenced Muhammad Yousaf to death.

The offence

Muhammad Yousaf bludgeoned to death an old woman, Khurshida Baigum (65), after looting gold ornaments. He kidnapped her from her house in Pakka Garha locality of Sialkot city on September 17. After the killing, he threw her body near the banks of Marala-Ravi-Link (MR Link) Canal near Motra-Daska.

Muhammad Yousaf was described as a serial killer who killed as many as thirteen women after looting them from various parts of Sialkot district during the last two years. A local court sentenced him for abducting and killing 13 elderly women.

Police and reporting also described him as being involved in 22 robberies and dacoities in areas under the limits of Cantt, Ugoki, Kotwali, Motrah and Sadder Sialkot police stations.

Investigation and arrest

Police arrested Muhammad Yousaf on 21.09.2010 from Pakka Garha area when he was taking an old woman with him on a motor bike.

DPO Bilal Siddique Kamyana addressed a press conference in his office on Wednesday, stating that Muhammad Yousaf, son of Muhammad Sharif, was arrested near Pakka Garha in the Muradpur police limits on Tuesday while he was taking an old woman on his motorcycle to kill her.

DPO Bilal Siddique Kamyana said that during the last three and a half months, Yousaf had killed multiple named women:

• Amina Bibi of Narowal
• Salima Bibi of Adalatgarha village
• Salima Bibi of Kamanala village
• Salima Akhtar of Mohallah Mubarikpura
• Rasool Bibi of Bhabrianwala village
• Amina Bibi and Khursheed Begum of Pakka Garha village
• Razia Begum of Mujahid Road
• Roshan Bibi of Kotli Loharan village

He said three other women killed by the accused were not identified.

The DPO stated that Khursheeda Bibi of Christian Town was badly injured and was being treated in a hospital. He also said that the accused targeted Azmat Bibi, Sughran Bibi, Rasheeda Bibi and Nazir Begum, who survived.

Police stated that Muhammad Yousaf used to pick old and poor women on the pretext of providing financial support through Zakat fund or Benazir Income Support Programme, took them to remote and deserted areas on his motorcycle, and later killed them with bricks, stones, blunt weapons or by strangling them to death.

The DPO said all the murdered women were between 65 and 75 years.

The DPO stated that Muhammad Yousaf basically was a resident of Gujranwala’s Rana Colony, but he was living in a rented house at Adalatgarha village near Sialkot city. He also said that the accused was still a single and mentally sound.

DPO Bilal Siddique Kamyana said that after a number of blind murders of aged women, policemen in civvies were deployed at General Bus Stand and other areas.

He also stated:

“In addition, information provided by an injured woman also helped the arrest of the accused.”

The DPO said that cases against the accused were registered at Cant, Kotwali, Uggoki, Muradpur, Motra and Sialkot Sadr police stations.

Confession and motive

Police reported that Muhammad Yousaf told them he had admitted to murdering 25 women. He said:

“I used to approach them with an offer to double their money. After trapping them in this manner, I used to take them to areas where there was nobody around,”

He also said:

“used to stone these women to death before making off with the valuables and other belongings in their possession”

He said:

“I only targeted elderly woman because they were mostly simpletons,”

He told police he lived in Bahrain before moving to Gujranwala in Pakistan, and that he rented a place in Adalat Nagar area of Sialkot for such activities.

In addition, Muhammad Yousaf told journalists that he was a cancer patient and wanted to get money for his treatment by looting and killing old women.

Trial

District & Sessions Judge Manzoor Hussain Dogar sentenced Muhammad Yousaf in the court.

The police produced the accused in the court amid tight security.

Muhammad Yousaf was described as a bachelor and a mechanical engineering graduate, and he was charged with kidnapping elderly and single women and killing them.

Sentencing

District and Session Judge Sialkot Manzoor Hussain Dogar awarded Muhammad Yousaf death sentence, life imprisonment and a fine of Rs700,000.

In one account, the fine was described as Rs.0.7 million. The court imposed the fine of Rs700,000, and Muhammad Yousaf would have to serve an additional six months if he was not able to pay the fine.

Other offences and related alleged conduct

Muhammad Yousaf was said to be involved in 22 robberies, mostly in the limits of Cantt, Ugoki, Kotwali, Motrah and Sadder Sialkot police stations.

Police described that he kidnapped elderly women and single women by offering help in getting financial support through Benazir Income Support Programme. Later, he used blunt tools and bricks or strangled the women to death.

Police said he kidnapped and then murdered an old woman, Khursid Bibi, in Pakka Garha area under the limits of Muradpur police station in September last year.

Outcome

Muhammad Yousaf was sentenced to death on June 15, 2011. He was also fined Rs700,000 by District & Sessions Judge Manzoor Hussain Dogar, and he received life imprisonment in addition to the death sentence.