15-year-old allegedly run over by employer after workplace dispute in Multan

Police arrest suspect, courts hands him four-day physical remand

MULTAN:

A 15-year-old boy was allegedly run over and killed by his employer after attempting to leave his workplace in a private housing society in Multan. Police arrested the suspect, who was later granted four days of physical remand by a court on Tuesday.

Waseem Abbas had been living at an orphanage for five years and wanted to learn electrical work, according to Shoaib Haider, the orphanage’s general secretary. The orphanage had sent him to contractor Tauqeer Nazir six days earlier to learn the trade.

The incident took place within the jurisdiction of the DHA police station. Rescue officials said Waseem suffered a severe head injury and died at the scene. His body was shifted to Nishtar Hospital, Multan, under police supervision.

Police arrested suspect Tauqeer and registered a case. Today, he was presented before Judicial Magistrate Saadia Aslam, who granted him four days of physical remand.

When Tauqeer was brought before the court, lawyers assaulted him outside the courtroom despite the presence of police.

FIR alleges deliberate killing

The FIR, registered on Monday, names Tauqeer Nazir and Amjad Ali as suspects and invoked Sections 302 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), relating to murder and acts done by several persons in furtherance of their common intention. It alleged that the two men pursued Waseem Abbas in a car and deliberately ran him over, causing fatal head injuries.

According to the FIR, Sub-Inspector Liaquat Ali Bhatti was on patrol with police personnel in Royal Orchard when a man identified as Mukhtiar Ahmed approached them at around 4:35pm. Mukhtiar told police that his cousin, Waseem, had been working as an electrician for the suspects and that they had allegedly subjected him to violence and threatened to kill him.

The report stated that Waseem had fled to a neighbouring street to escape the alleged abuse, while the two suspects pursued him in a vehicle. Police said they saw Waseem running in fear, followed by a Honda vehicle bearing registration number BVE-474.

The FIR alleged that the suspects ran the vehicle over Waseem with the intention of killing him. His head struck a pillar at the gate of house 3-A, crushing his skull and causing severe injuries. He died at the scene.

Two residents, Saqlain Raza and Syed Naseem Abbas, were named in the FIR as witnesses to the incident. According to the report, they told police that Waseem had passed by shortly before the incident, saying that the suspects wanted to kill him and that he was running to save his life.

The FIR further stated that the vehicle stopped after the incident and the suspects attempted to flee. Tauqeer was apprehended at the scene, while Amjad escaped. Police took the vehicle into custody as evidence.

Mukhtiar told police that Waseem wanted to leave the job because of the alleged violence and feared for his safety. The FIR alleged that the suspects pursued him over his decision to leave and acted in concert to kill him.

The report was registered at DHA police station under Sections 302 and 34 of the PPC. Waseem’s body was later sent to Nishtar Hospital for a post-mortem examination under police supervision.

Family demands justice

Waseem’s funeral prayers were held at around 2am in Mouza Daulatpur, and he was buried in his ancestral graveyard. The prayers were held promptly because of the condition of the body. Only close relatives and orphanage officials attended.

Haider said the orphanage had sent Waseem to Tauqeer after making inquiries about the contractor, who had a team of around 40 to 45 boys.

According to Haider, Tauqeer claimed he had followed Waseem in his car after the boy became tired while running away on foot. The suspect maintained that his car had slipped, but Haider said the video footage did not appear to support that explanation.

“It looks as though he was hit with the car,” Haider said, adding that Tauqeer would have to explain during the investigation why the boy had run away from him.

Haider said the orphanage had received no previous complaints against Tauqeer. Another boy from the facility had also been working for the contractor, but the orphanage had brought him back following the incident.

Waseem’s cousin Nadeem, who had been living at the orphanage for six years, said the boy had often expressed reluctance to go to the electrician to learn the trade, saying he wanted to return home. Nadeem said he did not know Tauqeer and had never met him. He added that Waseem had not returned to the orphanage since leaving to learn electrical work.

Waseem’s uncle, Jafar Hussain, told the media that the boy’s father had died nine years ago. His maternal grandfather initially supported him, after which Hussain looked after him for two to three years. Waseem was later admitted to the orphanage by his grandfather and uncle, he said.

“Tauqeer deliberately killed my nephew. I know what condition Waseem was in and how I saw him,” Hussain said, demanding justice.

Waseem’s maternal grandfather said he had taken the boy to the orphanage because he wanted him to receive an education rather than struggle on the streets. He also demanded that the suspect be punished.

Residents said Waseem and his brother had been admitted to the orphanage after their mother remarried following their father’s death.