Pir arrested for killing a boy, injuring his twin

He beat up the boys, 19, to exorcise a djinn.

FAISALABAD:

Mansoorabad police on Sunday arrested a man on charge of torturing to death a 19-year-old boy and beating his twin brother to exorcise a djinn from their bodies.

Naveed Ahmad, in his 40s, was arrested on a complaint filed by the boys’ father, Muhammad Arif. Ahmed has been charged with murder, attempted murder and torture.

Arif told police that his twin sons, Owais and Asghar, had both been unusual. He said Owais was mentally challenged, and Asghar was not an active child compared to other children of his age.

He said some neighbours had suggested that he showed them to Ahmed, who treated such children and those under the influence of djinns.

Arif said when he explained his sons’ condition to the ‘pir’, he told him to bring them over to his home.

“He said he will treat my sons by reciting Quranic verses as they were appeared to be under the influence of a djinn,” Arif told police. He said the pir had told him the treatment would take the entire night and asked him to bring over the boys at around midnight.

Arif said he left his sons with the pir and went home. A few hours later, he said, some people told him that they had heard his sons scream. He said when he rushed to see what had happened, he found that the pir was brutally thrashing his sons. “He said the beating will dispel the djinns who had possessed my sons and told me to return,” he said.

The next morning, he said, when he went over to pick his sons, he found them injured. They had bruises and cuts from the beating with the rods, he said.

The boys were taken to Allied Hospital, where Owais succumbed to his injuries, while Asghar was reported to be in a critical condition.

Following the death, the boys’ family and some residents of the area gathered in front of the pir’s house and called the police. They demanded his death by hanging for killing an innocent boy and putting another’s life in danger.

Some of them tried to break into his house, but were stopped by police, who took the pir in custody. They assured the people that appropriate action would be taken against him.

SSP (Operations) Sadiq Ali Dogar said the pir had told police that he had only tried to protect the boys from the djinns.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 24^th, 2012.