Blame game: Police end up arresting the family of the boy set on fire

Suspects complained the protesting family bulldozed their house.

SUKKUR: The Ghotki police arrested on Sunday evening the father and brother of a teenager who was burnt to death by armed men in Khanpur Mahar a little over two months ago. They have been arrested for allegedly burning down the house of a suspect accused of killing the teenager.

On March 30, 15-year-old Gyan Chand Meghwar, was on his way back from Khangarh to Khanpur Mahar when two men on a motorcycle offered him a ride which he accepted. After covering some distance they stopped the vehicle, whipped out a gun and demanded he hand over his cash and mobile phone.

As Gyan handed over the items, the cloth that one of the suspects was using to cover his face fell off. Gyan was able to identify him as Sunil Kumar and asked him to return the stolen items. But the suspects caught hold of him, doused him with petrol and then set him on fire. The suspects managed to flee from the site when Gyan started screaming and attracted the residents’ attention. Gyan was rushed to a Khanpur Mahar hospital and was later referred to Civil Hospital, Sukkur, where he died.



On the same day, Khanpur Mahar police arrested Kumar and his father, Kirshan, but released them later. Several men and women of the Meghwar community staged protests and sit-ins at the main roundabout of the city and demanded a re-arrest of the suspects.

The police gave in to these demands and raided Kirshan’s house in Ram Deo Muhalla. The police allegedly proceeded to demolish the house as the charged protesters set the furniture on fire.

Case of two FIRs

On the complaint of Gyan’s father, Khanpur Mahar police registered an FIR against five men - Kirshan and his four sons Rajesh, Sunil, Anil and Vikram, who were arrested earlier as well. The police IG ordered an inquiry into the murder and former Sukkur SSP Pir Mohammad Shah was appointed inquiry officer. Three days into the inquiry, the incident was declared as ‘self immolation’ and the case was withdrawn through B class. Recently, the accused, Kirshan, went to lodge an FIR at Khanpur Mahar police station against Gyan’s father Basant Kumar and brothers, Dilip, Govind Ram and others. In his statement before the police, Kirshan accused Gyan’s family of bulldozing their house and robbing valuables worth Rs4.5 million. On this second FIR, CIA in-charge inspector Mansab Shah arrested Gyan’s family members and has kept them in confinement at Mirpur Mathelo police station.

The police did not bulldoze Kirshan’s house, insisted Khanpur Mahar police head constable Muhammad Ramzan. He blamed the protesters for razing and torching the house. The attitude of the police has created resentment among the Meghwar community members, who are planning more protests. They have also appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan to provide justice.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 4^th, 2013.