Burning death: Bereaved say murder, accused says suicide
Man dies of burn wounds, accused couple flee neighbourhood.
LAHORE:
The police have registered a murder case against a woman and her husband for the murder of a young man who died of burn injuries in Mayo Hospital early on Saturday.
The woman says that Muhammad Bilal, 20, set fire to himself outside her home in Kot Lakhpat police jurisdiction after she refused his romantic advances.
But Bilal’s father Muhammad Riaz lodged a complaint with the police accusing Rehana, her husband Mujahid and two others of murdering his son. The police registered a case of attempted murder under Section 324 of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Bilal, a Baber Chowk resident and fruit cart vendor, was brought to hospital with severe burn wounds on Friday morning and passed away early Saturday. The attempted murder case was then turned into a murder case.
Riaz in his FIR said that Bilal and Rehana had known each other for quite some time. He said he had advised his son against the relationship and even visited her house a week ago to persuade her family to not allow Bilal into their home. He said that Rehana’s family had tied up Bilal, set fire to him and then pushed him out the house.
Sub Inspector Shahadat Ali said that Rehana had told neighbours on the day of the incident that Bilal had doused himself in kerosene then set fire to himself after she refused to be his girlfriend.
He said that Rehana and Mujahid had left the area and police were looking for them. He said that no eye witnesses had approached the police, and that Bilal during his brief period in hospital had given no indication as to how he had been burnt.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 9th, 2011.
The police have registered a murder case against a woman and her husband for the murder of a young man who died of burn injuries in Mayo Hospital early on Saturday.
The woman says that Muhammad Bilal, 20, set fire to himself outside her home in Kot Lakhpat police jurisdiction after she refused his romantic advances.
But Bilal’s father Muhammad Riaz lodged a complaint with the police accusing Rehana, her husband Mujahid and two others of murdering his son. The police registered a case of attempted murder under Section 324 of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Bilal, a Baber Chowk resident and fruit cart vendor, was brought to hospital with severe burn wounds on Friday morning and passed away early Saturday. The attempted murder case was then turned into a murder case.
Riaz in his FIR said that Bilal and Rehana had known each other for quite some time. He said he had advised his son against the relationship and even visited her house a week ago to persuade her family to not allow Bilal into their home. He said that Rehana’s family had tied up Bilal, set fire to him and then pushed him out the house.
Sub Inspector Shahadat Ali said that Rehana had told neighbours on the day of the incident that Bilal had doused himself in kerosene then set fire to himself after she refused to be his girlfriend.
He said that Rehana and Mujahid had left the area and police were looking for them. He said that no eye witnesses had approached the police, and that Bilal during his brief period in hospital had given no indication as to how he had been burnt.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 9th, 2011.