Schoolteacher kidnapped, murdered

Bullet-riddled body recovered from a guava orchard near Sharqpur

SHARAQPUR:

A 35-year-old schoolteacher, Wajid Ali, was brutally killed after being kidnapped in Sharqpur.

Wajid Ali, a resident of Madar Sharif area, served as a primary schoolteacher in Mundianwala village and also taught at Sharqpur Career Academy. On January 22, after completing his teaching duties at Sharqpur Academy, he was abducted on his way back home.

Sajid Ali, the brother of the deceased, filed a case with the police, initiating an immediate search for Wajid Ali. Wajid's lifeless body was discovered the next morning in a guava orchard near Mundianwala.

Distraught relatives and a significant number of locals gathered at the scene, vehemently protesting against the police's handling of the situation.

DSP Feroze Wala Nawaz Sial, along with the Crime Scene Unit and a substantial police force, arrived at the spot. Initial negotiations between the family, villagers, and the police faced challenges. The protesters, with the deceased's body, blocked Lahore Juranwala Road at Mother Sharif stop.

However, following assurances of swift justice and the apprehension of the culprits by the police, negotiations were resolved, and the road was reopened for traffic.

The police transferred the body to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital for post-mortem examination. Sajid Ali, the victim's brother, stated that Wajid had no personal grudges or enmity, and no ransom calls were received.

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Evidence, including two fire marks on Wajid Ali's body, one on the head and another on the leg, along with signs of torture, has been collected from the crime scene. DSP Ferozewala Nawaz Sial assured that the culprits would be apprehended and brought to justice.

Earlier in October last year, a school teacher and her two students were injured in an acid attack in Vehari.

Ashfaq had been relentlessly pursuing a school teacher, pressuring her to marry him. When she declined his proposal, Ashfaq became infuriated.

On the fateful day of the incident, as the teacher was on her way to school, Ashfaq and an accomplice approached her on a motorcycle, where he callously threw acid on her.

The victims suffered severe burns and were rushed to DHQ Hospital Vehari for immediate medical treatment.

Local residents apprehended the assailant and handed him over to the police station in Daniwal.

Abdul Sattar, the father of the school teacher, disclosed that Ashfaq had previously subjected both his daughter and son to threats and harassment involving acid attacks.

He had lodged two formal complaints with the Daniwal police station, but regrettably, no substantial action had been taken to address the situation.

The Daniwal police have registered a case against the acid attack perpetrator.

The case has been recorded under FIR number 1113/23, invoking Sections 336-B, 109, and 7-ATA, marking the initiation of comprehensive legal proceedings against the accused.

Additionally, the police are actively conducting raids to apprehend the second suspect believed to be involved in this abhorrent assault.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 24^th, 2024.