LAHORE: In a shocking turn of events, the killer of five-year-old girl Fajr from Batapur, Lahore, has emerged as a close friend and neighbour of her father, ARY News reported on Friday.

The shocking details came to light after the girl disappeared on August 10 and her remains were later found by local police.

According to the data, the suspect, identified as Kashif, was arrested with the help of CCTV footage and mobile phone data.

Kashif, who works as a mobile phone repairman and is a father of three, has confessed to kidnapping and killing the child.

The investigation revealed that Kashif tried to extort money from the girl’s father, Arshad, by using a voice changer and demanding a ransom.

Kashif knew that Arshad had a savings committee with assets of Rs 520,000, which prompted him to commit this heinous crime.

Tragically, the child was murdered within half an hour of her abduction.

Further investigation revealed that Kashif had a history of criminal behavior, including involvement in a robbery at his mother-in-law’s house and tampering with mobile phone IMEI numbers.

Police seized Fajr’s clothes and remains and sent them to a forensic laboratory for analysis.