A key suspect in the alleged suicide case of university graduate Laiba Ijaz was killed after armed men opened fire on a police party within the limits of the Ramna police station, Geo News reported on Tuesday.

The incident unfolded as a police team was taking the suspect, Muhammad Noman, for the recovery of evidence based on his identification, according to an Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police spokesperson cited by Geo News. Four suspects riding two motorcycles reportedly launched an assault in an attempt to free Noman from custody, during which the suspect was struck by bullets fired by his own accomplices and later succumbed to his injuries at a hospital, the spokesperson stated.

Key Facts

  • According to Geo News, the police spokesperson confirmed that the team remained unhurt due to bulletproof jackets and precautionary measures, and search operations are underway to arrest the remaining accomplices.
  • Geo News reported that Noman was previously arrested from Islamabad's H-13 sector and handed over to police on a physical remand by a judicial magistrate last week.
  • Police sources stated to Geo News that Laiba, a gold medallist who completed her BS degree at the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), died by suicide earlier this month after the suspect allegedly defrauded her on the pretext of arranging admission to a US university and providing fake documents.
  • According to police sources cited by Geo News, Noman first met Laiba in March 2023 when she applied for an internship, and later hired her, her sister, and her mother to advertise a tuck shop managed by a woman named Aiza, whose brother lived in the United States.
  • Investigators revealed to Geo News that Noman allegedly created an online account posing as Aiza, used ChatGPT to impersonate her and her brother, and took Rs2.1 million obtained from the sale of a plot along with family jewellery.
  • Geo News reported that police suspect Noman may have defrauded other women and plan to conduct a forensic examination of his mobile phone data after he deleted contents prior to his arrest.

Background

According to the background details reported by Geo News, Laiba sought Noman's assistance in obtaining a US visa through Aiza's brother. Preliminary investigations showed that Noman provided documents that appeared genuine. However, suspicion arose when Noman repeatedly changed her visa interview date—first to September 1, then September 17, and finally September 26. Upon checking the documents independently, Laiba discovered they were fake. Under pressure to return the jewellery given by her stepmother, she asked Noman to return it first, after which he cut off contact and began ignoring her.

Why it matters

The case highlights the severe vulnerabilities citizens face against online impersonation, document fraud, and deceptive visa scams operating within local networks. It underscores the ongoing challenges law enforcement faces during investigative recoveries and points to the wider issue of digital deception using modern artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT to exploit job seekers and students.