Excorcism: 16-year-old tortured with hot knives

Accused pir evades police, granted bail before arrest.

GUJRANWALA:

A pir in Ghakkarmandi has been accused of torturing a 16-year-old boy to exorcise him. An FIR has been registered against Master Boota Rehmani after a medical examination done at a rural health centre confirmed torture.

Dr Asif Mehmood has recommended that Section 337 F3 be added to the FIR. “The boy’s muscles have been damaged due to the bruises caused by hot blades and knives,” the report reads.

Meanwhile, Rehmani on Thursday obtained pre-arrest bail from Wazirabad additional district and sessions judge Muhammad Rafiq. Ghakkarmandi police confirmed they had received court orders to the effect. Investigation officer Sabir Jamal said Rehmani would be summoned to the police station for interrogation once he returned home.

The alleged victim, Azmat, was recovered by the police in a raid on Rehmani’s house in Nurpura on Tuesday. Police said the accused had left by the time they raided his house.

Azmat told The Express Tribune that the pir used to bruise his skin with hot knives. “He would place the knife on my skin after heating it on a gas stove,” the boy said. “He said this would injure the demon and force him to leave me,” he added.

Sub inspector Muhammad Akram, who carried out the raid, said the pir had fled. He said the raid was conducted on information provided by Waqas, a resident of Ghakkarmandi. Waqas told The Tribune that he had been following the pir for some time. “No one has ever been cured by the pir but people continue bringing their relatives to him believing that they have been possessed,” he said.

Azmat’s father Muhammad Yousaf said he used to complain about severe headaches and he would faint. “We were certain that he had been possessed. Some neighbours recommended we take him to Pir Rehmani,” they said. They said they had been visiting the pir for almost six months.

“He used to cut Azmat’s body with hot blades and knives. He said it would force the demons to leave his body,” they said.

However, they said, instead of improving Azmat’s condition worsened. “The pir said it was a positive sign. He said it showed the demons were becoming weak and would one day leave him,” they said.

Rehmani’s neighbours said the man was a retired school teacher. They said he claimed to possess spiritual powers and djinns who he said helped him during exorcisms. They said he arranged sittings at his house every Saturday and Sunday where he listened to people’s complaints.

337: Punishment of ghayr-jaifah:

F: Whoever by doing any act with the intention of causing hurt to any person, or with the knowledge that he is likely to cause hurt to any person, causes:-

iii) mutafahimah to any person, shall be liable to daman and may also be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years as ta’zir;

Published in The Express Tribune, July 29^th, 2011.