Inhumane treatment: Farmer in Mansehra accuses landlord of torture

Abdul Hameed claims Javed Khan dragged him behind his jeep for not trimming grass properly.


Our Correspondent October 29, 2013
Police initially tried to convince me to let the matter go, but then sent me to King Abdullah Teaching Hospital for examination, says Abdul Hameed, farmer. PHOTO: FILE

MANSEHRA: A farmer has accused an influential landlord and his men of assaulting him and dragging him behind a jeep as punishment for not trimming grass properly.

Abdul Hameed, 32, a resident of Dhok Tanawal village, told journalists on Tuesday he filed a complaint with Oghi police station stating the village landlord Javed Khan hired his services to cut grass in a field for Rs200. Hameed said he worked in the field all day long, however, when Khan and his son Jehangir Khan arrived in the evening they were not satisfied with Hameed’s work and told him to trim more grass as the amount he had cut was not sufficient.



“I told the landlord I made the most effort I could, upon which he got infuriated and started beating me and calling me names,” Hameed narrated. He added Khan then tied him up with his jeep and dragged him along the village road in full view of the villagers.

According to Hameed, Khan left him unconscious and badly bruised on the road. “Later, I went to Oghi police station to lodge a complaint against Javed, his son Jehangir and another person. However, they initially tried to convince me to let the matter go, but then sent me to King Abdullah Teaching Hospital, Mansehra for a medical examination,” claimed Hameed, adding the doctors there referred him to Ayub Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad.

When contacted, Oghi police station SHO Hakim Khan confirmed Hameed had approached the police, but insisted an FIR would only be registered once the victim’s medical report determined the nature and seriousness of his injuries.

Meanwhile, Javed Khan denied Hameed’s allegations. According to Khan, Hameed had borrowed Rs5,000 from his son a few months ago and had not been paying the amount back despite repeated messages.

“I sent one of my employees to his house to collect the money, but Hameed started quarrelling with him and they both slapped each other,” said Khan. The landlord insisted he neither hired Hameed nor dragged him behind his jeep. He claimed his opponents were exaggerating the matter to gain political mileage.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 30th, 2013.

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