Minor faces murder charge in Lahore

Police investigators absolve suspect’s uncle of involvement in boy’s slaying

LAHORE:

Hadiara police have submitted a challan for charging a minor boy with murdering his friend, also a child, with a knife after an altercation over placing charpoys in the street.

The family of the deceased accused the police of wrongly declaring the co-accused innocent during the investigation, but the investigation in-charge denied the allegation.

According to the complainant, the deceased had repeatedly forbidden the suspect from placing charpoys in front of his house for sleeping. The suspect used to threaten the deceased over the matter.

On third day of Eidul Azha last year, Abdur Rehman went to a bazaar to get food, Muzamal and his uncle Muhammad Boota were present.

A brawl ensued between them. Muzamal slit the throat of Abdur Rehman with a knife and he fell on the road.

People present at the spot took him to a quack in the area but later he was taken to Ghurki Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

An FIR was registered against the two persons in Hadiara police station under sections 302 and 34 of PPC.

The police arrested the suspect and produced him before a magisterial court, seeking his physical remand to recover the knife used in the murder.

Finally the police recovered the knife. During the investigation, co-accused Boota was declared innocent.

Police submitted the challan before the court, declaring the suspect responsible for the murder.

Later, the court started the trial of the case and the judge fixed the date for framing charges.

However, a relative of the complainant Munawar Bibi alleged that an investigation official had demanded bribe and let the co-accused free after his demand was not accepted. He said they had also submitted applications to the SSP and DIG investigation over the matter. complaining against Nafees but all in vain.

He said the bails of the suspects had also been rejected by the district and sessions court and Lahore High Court.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 4^th, 2021.