‘Loyal’ friend: Teen burned by friend for abandoning him

Doctors say he is 90 per cent burned.

BAHAWALPUR:

A 17-year-old boy was set on fire on Monday by a friend after the former’s father stopped him from meeting the latter. The injured boy was taken to a hospital, where doctors said that he was in critical condition. They said he had 90 per cent burns.

The suspect was arrested from a friend’s house by Qaimpur police. A case was registered against him.

Police said Muhammad Ali, a resident of Manzoorabad near Qaimpur, had prohibited his son Muhammad Tariq from meeting his friend Shujaat*. Police said Ali suspected Shujaat of an immoral character and did not want his son to hang out with him.

On Monday, police said, Shujaat went to Tariq’s house and said that he wanted to talk to him “one last time”. They said Tariq left to meet him without informing his parents.

A few minutes later, they said, some neighbours informed his father that Shujaat had set fire to Tariq’s clothes. They told him that he had  thrown petrol at Tariq.

His parents rushed to the nearby street and saw Tariq burned. Shujaat had fled.

The injured boy was taken to the rural health centre on a motorcycle, from where he was referred to Bahawal Victoria Hospital.

Doctors treating him said that his condition was critical. A few hours later, he was taken to the burn unit at Nishtar Hospital in Multan.

Qaimpur Station House Officer Mahar Mumtaz told The Express Tribune that an FIR has been registered against Shujaat. He said a police team had been raiding places where he was suspected to have hidden. He said he was arrested from the house of a friend in the village.

THE NAME HAS BEEN CHANGED TO PROTECT THE JUVENILE’S IDENTITY

Published in The Express Tribune, October 8^th, 2013.