LAHORE: Nine people suspected of being involved in the killing of a boy in Askari X on Feb 8 were arrested, police claimed on Tuesday.

Kotwali CIA Deputy Superintendent of Police Khalid Abubakar told Dawn all the suspects nominated in the first information report were in custody and none of them was on bail. He said no member of the victim’s family had yet appeared before police to record their statement regarding the motive behind the brawl that resulted in the murder of Syed Muhammad Murtaza.

Murtaza, 16, was brutally beaten by a group of people led by Humayun Sajjad, his brother Raza Sajjad, their uncle Irfan Maheis and eight accomplices in the market of Askari X housing society on Feb 8.

The victim had received critical head injuries and died after remaining in coma in the intensive care unit of the Combined Military Hospital on Feb 11.

Murtaza’s brother Mujtaba told Dawn a group of 15 to 20 men armed with clubs and iron rods had attacked Murtaza’s four friends. They assaulted Murtaza with iron rods when he came to rescue his friends, who escaped from the scene.

He said Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had taken notice of the incident, but so far no official had approached them. He said they would visit police in the next few days to record their statements.

Regarding possibilities of rapprochement with the suspects, Mujtaba categorically said neither any such thing was under consideration nor anyone had contacted the family about it.

Published in Dawn March 4th , 2015

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