Fatima was working at the haveli of an influential pir in Ranipur and died in early August. A postmortem examination conducted after her body was exhumed, confirmed that she was tortured and raped before she died.

Amir Chang, the local police station incharge (SHO); Mohammad Khan, the senior constable; a local doctor Abdul Fateh Memon; and Ali Wassan, the head of the local rural health centre were arrested for covering up the death.

They were released on Wednesday after police declared them innocent.

Read: Police recover four maids from Asad Shah’s haveli

The prime suspect Asad Shah remains in jail under judicial remand.

The prime suspect Asad Shah was booked in a first information report, invoking sections 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) and 302 (punishment of qatl-i-amd) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The police have so far not arrested other suspects, including Hina Shah and her father Fayyaz Shah.

On August 29, investigation officer Bachal Qazi said in court that the case would taken up in the anti-terrorism court after sections of the Anti Terrorism Act were invoked in the case.

The released suspects were taken into custody on August 17 after their brief release on personal surety bonds.