Unholy practice: ‘Fake peer’ arrested for looting women

The man was accused of snatching cash, gold on false pretences.

ISLAMABAD:

The city police, on Monday, arrested a fake peer (spiritual healer) from Bhara Kahu. The man was accused of snatching jewellery and cash from women on the pretext of exorcising djinns and healing illnesses.

Peer Ali, 42, was arrested by Bhara Kahu police on a complaint filed by a woman after the he tried to snatch jewellery and cash from her younger sister.

Sub Inspector (SI) Arif Kayani told The Express Tribune that Ali was arrested on the complaint of Rizwana Bibi, a local resident who visited him with her sister for treatment. The police said when Ali demanded Rs100,000 from her sister she approached the police. The victim’s family alleged that he had also demanded that the sisters bring jewellery for exorcising the djin, according to the police.

An official said that Ali used to call visiting persons in a separate room and deprive them of their valuables on the basis of various false pretences. Police raiding team also recovered valuables and cash from him while further investigation is underway and police is hopeful of making more recoveries from them.

This was the first complaint registered against Ali who has been practising in Bhara Kahu for the past 14 years. Some residents had requested the police to release him as he was innocent, according to the SI.

“A case has been registered against him under sections 420, 354 and 356. He will be produced before the court on Tuesday (today),” he added

Meanwhile, Golra police have found a body of an unidentified man from sector F-11/2 on Monday. According to police, the body was found lying in a nullah (drainage canal) near Sector F-11/2. The police suspected that the man had died five to seven days ago and was about 25 years old. The body has been shifted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 29^th, 2012.