FIA registers Rs9.3m fraud case after Islamabad student’s death

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Govt orders investigation into death of 24-year-old student

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has registered a case against two suspects over an alleged Rs9.3 million fraud involving promises of a US visa and scholarship in connection with the death of a 24-year-old university student in Islamabad.

According to the FIA, the case has been registered against Muhammad Nauman and Fatima Sarwar under relevant provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Immigration Ordinance.

The FIA officials said Sub-Inspector Zubair Kamal would investigate the case. The agency would also determine the roles of other individuals involved in the matter.

The FIA said all those found involved would be brought to justice.

Earlier on Saturday, Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the suspect accused of defrauding the student’s family would be arrested soon. He said the authorities would seek to recover the money and ensure those responsible faced the law.

Speaking to journalists alongside the student’s father, Naqvi termed the case as a test for the government, given the nature of the alleged fraud. He pledged to monitor the investigation personally and take action against those responsible.

Naqvi said the police, the FIA and other relevant institutions were working on the case. He added that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had telephoned him shortly before the briefing and directed the immediate arrest of the suspect.

The interior minister asked for more time, saying the investigation was under way. He said the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) director general would provide an update soon, with further details expected shortly.

Earlier, PM Shehbaz had taken notice of the apparent suicide of the 24-year-old student, who studied at the International Islamic University Islamabad. He directed the Islamabad inspector general of police and chief commissioner to arrest the suspect accused of defrauding her family.

The prime minister termed her death as deeply tragic and called for the suspect’s immediate arrest and punishment in accordance with the law.

The student had completed her bachelor’s degree with a gold medal and hoped to pursue higher education in the United States. Her family alleged that an education consultant had defrauded them of millions of rupees by providing fake university admission and visa documents.

She was found hanging from a tree along a green belt near Islamabad’s Sunday Bazaar. The police initially treated the incident as an apparent suicide. However, the exact cause and circumstances of her death remain under investigation.

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