Two held for ‘burning’ friend to death

Incident reveals victim died of severe burns as result of fire inside room

RAWALPINDI:

Police arrested two suspects for allegedly setting their friend on fire in Kachehri district on Monday evening.

According to the police, the accused named Akhlaq and Mukhtar, called the victim, Muhammad Shehzad, to a room and set him on fire.

The victim’s brother, Muhammad Shafiq, a resident of Tahli Mori and brother of the deceased, filed a kidnapping and murder case at the police station.

Specifics of the incident reveal that the victim died of severe burns as a result of a fire inside a room in the Old Kachehri district on Sarwar Road, where he lived in a servant quarter. Meanwhile, Shehzad’s friends, Mukhtar and Akhlaq had called him and taken him to Old Kachehri, Rawalpindi.

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When the brother did not return by evening, Shafiq was tense, so he decided to go search for him. This is when he got news of a person burning to death in Old Kachehri district. When he reached the spot, where the incident had taken place, Shafiq witnessed a burnt body lying in Mukhtar's room, which was unidentifiable at that point.

However, he strongly believed that the body belonged to his brother, Shehzad, who was burnt to death by his friends in a room that they had allegedly rented and brought the victim to.

According to sources, initial investigation showed that the body of the victim was completely burnt and could not be identified. A DNA test has been ordered so the body can be identified.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 3^rd, 2024.