Body in suitcase: Murder charge for two Pakistanis

SINGAPORE - Two Pakistani nationals were charged with murder yesterday in connection with the case of a dismembered body that was found in a suitcase last week.

Rasheed Muhammad, 43, and Ramzan Rizwan, 25, are accused of killing 59-year-old Mr Muhammad Noor between 12.01am last Tuesday and 6.04pm last Wednesday in a room at 6B Rowell Road.

This is believed to be the lodging house where the three were living.

Last Wednesday, Mr Muhammad Noor's body was found without his legs in a blood-soaked suitcase at Syed Alwi Road in the Jalan Besar area. The suspects were nabbed last Thursday at a shophouse along Rowell Road, not far from where the body was found.

Police later found the legs of the victim, who was also from Pakistan, in the vicinity of Jalan Kubor off Victoria Street.

Wearing a red polo shirt, Ramzan appeared nervous yesterday as the charges were read to him in Urdu, the national language of Pakistan. Rasheed appeared sullen and did not look up during the proceedings.

The suspects and the victim were reportedly from the same Pakistani village, and had come to Singapore last month to sell tissue paper. The owner of the lodging house told The New Paper that the victim and Rasheed checked in about a month ago - on May 17 - and shared a room. Ramzan arrived 11 days later, accompanied by three other Pakistanis - two women and a man.

The owner said the six flew in from Karachi and were supposed to fly home together on June 27.

The suspects are remanded at Central Police Division for further investigation, and their cases will be mentioned again in court on June 20.

They face the death penalty if convicted.

This article was first published on June 15, 2014.
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