Kidnap, murder: Protest over killing of 12-year-old Christian boy

The boy had gone missing on Chaand Raat and was found dead on Eid.

FAISALABAD:

Hundreds of Christians staged a protest demonstration on Wednesday to express their resentment over the killing of a 12-year-old Christian boy, who was allegedly kidnapped on chaand raat.

The protesters carried clubs and iron rods and threw stones at shops and vehicles along the Narwala Road. Traffic remained suspended for more than four hours.

Suneel, son of Yaqoob Masih, a resident of Christian Town adjacent Model Town, had gone missing the night before Eid. The family had registered a complaint with the Gulberg police and had been looking for him on their own.

On Monday, the body was found from Chamra Mandi in Factory Area. A police driver, Constable Ali Raza, discovered it on his way home. He informed the local police, who later identified the boy as Suneel.

They said the boy had apparently been killed using a sharp weapon. The body had then been set on fire. They said there were cuts all over the body.

The body was sent to Allied Hospital for a postmortem examination and the family was informed.

Following the identification of the boy, residents of Christian Town took out a protest rally. They demanded immediate arrest of the murderers. The protesters were later joined by minority MPA Aamir Sahotra.

A heavy police contingent led by Lyallpur Town Superintendent of Police Zahid Mehmood later arrived on the scene. The protesters dispersed after the SP assured them that the murderers will be found and arrested.

Patrus Masih, a brother of the deceased, said the family had no idea of who could have killed his brother. He said they had no enmity with anybody.

Police have registered a case on the complaint of Constable Ali Raza, who first found the body.

They said that the postmortem report said that the body had 23 cuts. The boy had not been sexually assaulted.

SSP (Operations) Sadiq Ali Dogar has formed a three-member investigation team and directed it to probe the matter. He has also directed them to submit an inquiry report in a week.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 23^rd, 2012.