Police puzzled after student set on fire, dumped

Haris Javed was rescued by passers-by after being thrown out of a vehicle on Thursday night

KARACHI: The abduction of an Iqra University student, who was kidnapped on February 16 and later dumped in Mehmoodabad on Thursday night after being set on fire, remained a mystery for police officials investigating the case on Friday.

Final-year engineering student Haris Javed, 22, went missing on February 16 after he left home for the university. Late on Thursday night, he was thrown out of a hi-roof van while engulfed in flames. Some bystanders came to the burning student’s rescue, putting out the fire and rushing him to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre. He was then referred to the burns ward at Civil hospital.

The doctors treating Javed said that the student had 36 per cent burn injuries, particularly on his chest, neck and underarms but was out of danger. The incident became highlighted after a note was found on him, saying that if the ‘military operation’ did not end, other students would be treated in the same manner.

Javed, meanwhile, revealed that about a week ago, he was intercepted by unidentified men in a van when he was going to university. “I offered them my cellphone since I thought they were street criminals,” he said. “Instead, they started beating me and tried to kidnap me but I escaped.”

He went on to say that, on Monday, three men in a double-cabin vehicle stopped him near the varsity again, asking him about the earlier brawl. “They wanted to know if I could identify my assailants and I said yes,” recounted the Akhtar Colony resident. “So they opened the rear door of the vehicle and told me to identify them. When I moved toward the vehicle, they pulled me in, covering my face with a piece of cloth.” The men drove for 40 minutes before locking him in a small room, bound and blindfolded.

“They came back after two days and asked me to place an object somewhere for them. When I refused, they tortured me,” Javed explained. “They kept doing this every two hours and did not even give me any food.” They then took him to another place an hour’s drive away and, on Thursday night, drove him out again, set him on fire, hurled him out of the car and fled.

The case took another turn when the police said that a rickshaw driver, Fayyaz, claimed that he had dropped Javed and a girl off at Gizri a few days ago. The student’s family, however, denied these claims.

“Haris is telling the truth but the police are now trying to weaken the case,” asserted his uncle, Sajid. “We found Fayyaz when we were searching for Haris during his disappearance and when we showed him Haris’ picture, he told us that he may have dropped him at Gizri with a girl a few days ago but he was not sure.”

 PHOTO: EXPRESS NEWS

https://twitter.com/iCleopatraa/status/568721396466999296

student of Iqra University burnt with a note ordering the end of the operation w the threat of more students suffering. Can it get ANY worse

— امنا (@AmnaaSid) February 20, 2015

Sajid said the family took Fayyaz to the police station in order to help the police in their investigation but the police tried to cast doubts. “They initially said that Haris had abducted the girl and now, after his recovery, they are giving the media an incorrect statement to relieve themselves of pressure.”

The police said that they could not confirm anything until the investigation was completed. “We have yet to verify Javed and Fayyaz’s statements,” SSP Tariq Dharejo told The Express Tribune. “We are probing the case from at least five angles.” A case has been registered.



Published in The Express Tribune, February 21st, 2015.