Man murdered after bail in revenge killing

Police face criticism for slow response to abduction

LODHRAN:

A man released on bail in a murder case was killed by the sons of the deceased after being kidnapped.

The family of the deceased alleged that despite reporting the abduction to Rescue 15, the police did not respond immediately, instead directing the family to come to the police station.

After waiting at the station for about five hours, they were sent home without action.

Muhammad Ramzan, a 70-year-old resident of Basti Darhata, recounted the events while speaking to the media. On the night of June 30, he and his brother Muhammad Sadiq were watering their fields when they were ambushed by Muhammad Akbar, Sakhi Ashraf, Alif Din (sons of Bashir Ahmed) and two unidentified armed men.

The attackers fired shots and kidnapped Sadiq, taking him to an undisclosed location. Ramzan and Sadiq’s calls for help attracted neighbours, but the assailants threatened to shoot anyone who approached.

The motive behind the abduction and murder is believed to be revenge. Muhammad Sadiq and his son Nazuq had been sentenced to death by the Sessions Court for the murder of the attackers’ father.

However, the High Court later granted Sadiq bail.

The attackers, unable to cope with the court’s decision, allegedly kidnapped and killed Sadiq to avenge their father’s death.

The City Lodhran Police registered a case (1243/24) under Section 365 TPP following the discovery of Sadiq’s body in the fields, about 15 hours after the abduction.

Ramzan also accused the police of negligence, stating that a robbery outside an office in Lodhran had previously been wrongly attributed to his brother and nephew, resulting in their false implication in a murder case.

The police, led by then DPO Abdul Rauf Babar, had coloured the incident as an act of enmity rather than addressing the real culprits.

Ramzan has called on the Punjab chief minister, the IG Punjab Police and the DPO to take action against the police for their inaction and to provide justice.

He asserted that had the police acted promptly, his brother might still be alive.

A police spokesperson stated that three of the accused have been granted interim bail and assured that they would be arrested soon.