08 October 2020

Woman arrested over doctor and daughter double murder

08 October 2020

Detectives investigating the double murder of a doctor and her daughter have arrested a woman.

Dr Saman Mir Sacharvi, 49, and her daughter, Vian Mangrio, 14, were found dead at their smoke and fire-damaged house in Reedley, near Burnley, on October 1.

Dr Sacharvi was found to have been assaulted and died from pressure to her neck, police said.

On Thursday, Lancashire Police arrested a 44-year-old woman on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and aiding and abetting murder. She is in custody.

A 51-year-old man from Burnley, arrested on Sunday, remains in custody on suspicion of two counts of murder, two of rape and arson with intent to endanger life.

A 56-year-old man arrested at the same time has been released without charge.

The second victim has yet to be formally identified, but is believed to be Miss Mangrio.

The post-mortem investigation remains ongoing for her, so a cause of death has not been established but police said she was found badly burnt at the address.

Her mother, understood to be originally from Pakistan, was a junior doctor with Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust’s specialist perinatal community mental health team since February.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police as soon as possible through the dedicated Major Incident Portal at https://mipp.police.uk/operation/0401020119P01-PO1 or on 101, quoting log 0429 of October 3rd. Alternatively independent charity Crimestoppers can be reached anonymously on 0800 555 111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org.

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