Mystery surrounds bodies missing from graves
In a village under the jurisdiction of Laksian police station, situated 30 kilometres from Sargodha city, bodies had been vanishing from graves in the local cemetery, sparking widespread fear and unease among the populace.
Ahmad Yar, the gravedigger of the village, raised the alarm on April 17, informing villagers that several graves had been tampered with at the Mauza Sewar cemetery, with bodies missing from them.
Upon receiving this alarming news, villagers gathered at the village cemetery.
Yar further said the disturbed graves included both new and old ones.
Local residents reported that more than a dozen graves had been desecrated, with bodies or skeletal remains removed from them.
Shehbaz Nethar, an advocate from the nearby area of Laksian, also visited the village and informed The Express Tribune that dozens of graves had been disturbed, with bones and remains taken from them.
He mentioned that among the desecrated graves, ten belonged to children, while two contained the remains of elderly individuals.
Suspicions have arisen among the villagers, suggesting the involvement of a group in the village engaged in the practice of using human bones and remains for magical purposes or medicinal concoctions.
Following the unsettling disappearances from the Mauza Sewar graveyard, concerns have escalated among the local populace about the safety of their deceased loved ones.
Residents reported the incident to the Laksian police station. Upon receiving the report, personnel from the Laksian police station and ASP Kot Momin, Akhtar Nawaz, arrived at the scene to investigate.
Authorities registered a case and apprehended four suspects in connection with the incident.
Police confirmed that they are conducting a thorough investigation into all aspects of the case and are currently interrogating the detained individuals.
They assured that the main perpetrators behind the grave desecration would be apprehended soon.
Amidst speculations surrounding the theft of bodies from the graves, some local residents believe that the disturbances may not be the work of a group but rather attributed to the deteriorated condition of some older graves due to neglect, while others speculate that wild animals may have been responsible for digging up certain graves.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 19th, 2024.