Black magic: Police van pelted with stones for taking away ‘grave desecrator’

He was caught trying to bury an amulet and some rice in a grave.

FAISALABAD: Scores of residents of Chak 77-RB Lohkay staged a protest demonstration against Khurarianwala police on Monday for rescuing a man accused of vandalising graves.

The protesters chanted slogans against police and demanded public hanging for the man.

Talking to newsmen, Malik Amjad said he had spotted a man entering in a graveyard at 4am.

“I chased him. I saw that he was carrying something wrapped in a white cloth which he intended to bury,” he said. “I caught him and called other people for help.”

Attaullah, another protester, said the man had been identified as Abdul Lateef. He said the man was caught burying an amulet and rice in the graves of two children.

He said the man had told them that he was doing so at the advice of Pir Israr Shah.

He said they had tied shoes around Lateef’s neck and paraded him to Shah’s house. He said had Shah fled on seeing the crowd.

A police team reached to scene and rescued Lateef from the mob.

The protesters pelted the police van with stones. Later, a police team detained Shah at the police station.

Asghar Ali, a villager of Chak 77-RB Lohkay, told newsmen that Shah performed black magic for a fee.

The Khurarianwala SHO said police had started investigating the case.

He said Lateef had told them that his wife was ill and someone had told him that she had been possessed by a spirit.

He said he had gone to Shah who had advised him to bury an amulet and the rice in graves. He said he had been doing this for two months.

The SHO said Shah had denied the claim.

He said Shah had told them that he had asked Lateef to throw the amulet and rice in the canal.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 28^th, 2015.