Her father, stepmother, and uncle have been accused of killing Sara Sharif, according to British police who detained her family after they arrived in the country the day before. This was revealed by police early on Friday.
According to Surrey Police, the charges included causing or permitting the 10-year-old’s death.
In a televised statement earlier this evening, Surrey Police Detective Superintendent Mark Chapman said that this evening, “three people were arrested in connection with this investigation at Gatwick Airport.” They had been detained the day prior as they touched down in the UK.
When Sara Sharif’s body was discovered, a post-mortem examination report revealed that she had been hurt for a considerable amount of time.
Before Sara’s body was discovered, Urfan Sharif, 41, his accomplice Beinash Batool, 29, and his brother Faisal Malik, 28, who were charged with the murder, travelled to Pakistan to seek refuge with family, the police claim.
Before being apprehended, the suspects had taken a flight from Pakistan to Britain via the Gulf hub.
They are currently being held and will be questioned soon, according to police.
Earlier, a spokesman for the Pakistani police claimed that Sharif, Batool, and Malik had voluntarily and with the consent of the relevant authorities returned to Britain.
According to Raja Haq Nawaz, the father of Urfan Sharif, “I confirm that they have not been arrested and that they left voluntarily.” Raja Haq Nawaz also spoke to AFP.
On August 9, Sara’s five siblings—who range in age from one to thirteen—took a flight to Pakistan with their family members.
Post-mortem examinations revealed that 10-year-old Sara had suffered “multiple and extensive injuries” when she was discovered dead at her family’s Woking residence on August 10 — a day after her father and his partner had left the country.
When the children arrived on August 10, Muhammad Sharif, Sara’s grandfather, told the BBC that he had been hiding them in his house in the northeastern city of Jhelum.
Sharif told the BBC, “Since they came from the UK, I didn’t let them go. “I told Urfan and Beinash they could go anywhere they wanted, but I wouldn’t let the kids come with you,” she said. Nobody had ever inquired about the kids before today.
Nobody questioned me about the kids, but they kept asking me about Urfan, Faisal, and Beinash. Sharif had previously vehemently denied having contact with his son or being aware of the location of the family.
The Urfan Sharif sisters, who were also interviewed by the BBC, reported that the kids were very upset. Farzana Malik recalled that the kids were waving goodbye while the police were dragging them away. They frequently sobbed while uttering the phrase “We don’t want to go.”
Police officers allegedly raided the property just before 4:30 p.m., according to witnesses. According to neighbours, police stopped traffic and forbade anyone from recording with their phones. Sharif claimed that the police had broken his home’s gates and CCTV cameras.
Although Sara’s father Urfan Sharif, stepmother Beinash Batool, and uncle Faisal Malik were not present when the children were taken, the police have confirmed that they are the parents of the kids.
Surrey Police said in a statement on Monday that they were aware Pakistani police had discovered the kids.
They stated that they were collaborating with Surrey County Council and international partners, “including Interpol, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the National Crime Agency to determine the next steps”.
The welfare of these five kids, they continued, “remains a top priority for us.” Muhammad Sharif claimed on Friday that he had instructed his son via text message to turn himself in to the police.
