Labourer axed to death

A tractor driver was killed with an axe allegedly by his employer and accomplices after demanding his pending salary in the Wahndo area of Gujranwala.

Police have registered a murder case on the complaint of the victim's brother and taken three suspects into custody, while the main accused remains at large.

Police said the incident occurred in Mohanpur Bhattian, where the victim, Muzammil Hussain, worked as a tractor driver for a landowner, Saifullah. When Muzammil went to collect his wages, a heated argument broke out.

As per the FIR, Saifullah, along with Saddam, Irshad and Bilal, allegedly attacked him, striking his head with an axe and severely injuring him.

The suspects then transported the wounded Muzammil in a vehicle and later dumped his body near a canal bridge before fleeing the scene.

Police registered a case on the complaint of Muzammil's brother, Jabar Hussain, under murder charges.

The complainant alleged that the influential accused were now attempting to portray the killing as a heart attack by sealing the head wounds with adhesive glue to distort medical evidence. Family members and locals protested, accusing police of bias and inaction.

Station House Officer (SHO) Rana Sarwar, however, dismissed the allegations, calling them baseless. "The post-mortem has been conducted, and the claim about sealing the wounds is fabricated," he said.

"Three nominated suspects Saddam, Irshad, and Bilal have been arrested, while the prime suspect Saifullah is on interim bail.