Assaulted 17-year-old still in coma, no arrests

ISLAMABAD: Imran Maseeh, 17, who was beaten so badly by neighbours that he fell into a coma, is still fighting for his life.

Imran lies in ward number four at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), while doctors have asked his povertystricken parents to arrange for Rs300,000 for a crucial surgical procedure.

Meanwhile, the two persons accused of beating him up, Harris Maseeh and Allah Rakha, were able to acquire bail from the court till April 21. The police cannot arrest them till then.

But Sarwar Maseeh, Imran’s father, has accused the police of deliberately delaying investigations to give the culprits time so they could obtain bail from the court.

Sarwar told The Express Tribune that he had already paid Rs7000 in ‘bribes’ to the investigation officer so that the two could be arrested.

“But he [the officer] has taken more money from the accused men for not arresting them,” Sarwar said.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Muhammad Ishtiaq, investigation officer of the case, from Kohsar Police Station, had earlier told The Express Tribune that he was waiting for Imran’s medical report before taking action.

But Ishtiaq did not arrest the accused men even after receiving the medical report and the expiry of the bail-before-arrest of the two on April 8, 2010. Imran, a resident of Musharraf colony in Sector G-8/4, suffered an accident a few years ago and had to get an iron rod fixed in his left leg. His fate took a turn for the worst when over a petty argument, on March 21, Imran was brutally tortured to the point that he started spitting blood, Sarwar said.

A little while later, he lost consciousness and the accused managed to escape from the scene. Imran was later shifted to PIMS where he is currently undergoing treatment.

His respiratory tract needs cleaning after every two hours to enable him to breathe properly. Talking to The Express Tribune, Imran’s mother Naseem Maseeh, said, “We have spent over Rs100, 000 over his treatment by borrowing from different friends.

We cannot afford to keep our son in the hospital for too long or pay bribes to the police,” she said. “Imran is my only son,” said Sarwar, his eyes brimming with tears.

“Even if Harris and Allah Rakha offer me money in exchange for reconciliation, I would not agree. I demand that the police immediately arrest them and put them behind bars,” he said. Sarwar added that the investigation officer was pressurising him to reconcile with the accused and withdraw the FIR against them. The police official could not be contacted for a comment.