Tailor’s leg cut off over dog theft

The victim dies from the beating

MULTAN:

Multan police on Thursday recovered the severed leg of a tailor from a forest. It had allegedly been cut off following a dispute over dog theft. The victim died from the beating, the injury and denial of treatment.

A spokesman for Operations SSP Atif Ikram told newsmen that 31-year-old Abid had moved a complaint against Ashraf and Irfan, accusing them of stealing his dog two weeks ago. He said the man had withdrawn his complaint following intervention by village elders.

On Sunday evening, Ashraf and Irfan stopped Ikram on his way back from work and had an argument with him. He said the men first beat him, then cut off his leg.

The spokesman said witnesses had told them that the men paraded the injured man in the village but no one intervened because they were carrying guns. In the end, he said, the men left Ikram on a roadside and fled. He was rushed to Nishtar Hospital where he died. The body was handed over to the family after autopsy.

His relatives staged a demonstration in front of the hospital, accusing MNA Shah Mehmood Qureshi of protecting the suspects and accusing MNA Abdul Ghaffar Dogar of failing to protect his constituents. His brother told newsmen that police were not cooperating with his family in the case on Qureshi’s orders.

CPO Azhar Akram denied this. He said two teams had been formed under the supervision of senior police officials to apprehend the suspects. He said one of the teams had recovered the amputated leg from a forest.

Talking to The Express Tribune Qureshi said, “Allegations of my interference in this case are completely baseless. I do not know the victim or the suspects. I can empathise with the family of the deceased.”

He said police should leave no stone unturned to apprehend those involved in the crime.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 23^rd, 2016.