SAHIWAL: Police on Thursday booked two brothers who allegedly dragged a labourer in the streets of Jaithpur village by putting a rope in his neck and later subjected him and his younger sibling to brutal torture “for refusing to work in their fields”.

According to locals and police, two brothers Aslam and Hanif, along with another man Din Muhammad attacked Sajid (30), a farm worker, in a village street on Wednesday. They overpowered the victim, put a rope in his neck and dragged him in the village streets.

The suspects told the onlookers that Sajid was being punished for “refusing to work in our fields”.

They later took him to their farmhouse and subjected him to severe torture using iron nails and rods.

The suspects then also called Sajid’s younger brother Sharafat (28) to the farmhouse and he too was subjected to brutal torture.

Meanwhile, someone informed Hujra Shah Muqeem police about the incident.

The police raided the farmhouse and rescued the victims who were shifted to Depalpur Tehsil Headquarters Hospital for treatment.

The police registered an FIR (No 317/18) and arrested the two prime suspects, Aslam and Hanif, on the complaint of the victims’ elder brother Noor Muhammad.

Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Shafiq Bhatti, who is investigating the matter, said the third suspect would soon be arrested.

Depalpur hospital sources told Dawn that the victims were being treated for multiple injuries.

According to police sources, a few months back sister of the prime suspects had eloped with a local youth. Later, she was brought back.

The brothers suspected that Sajid had a role in the elopement and wanted to teach him a lesson, the sources said.

DIES: A boy died allegedly after he was administered a wrong or expired injection by a quack at 90/9-L village.

According to the victim’s family, six-year-old Farhad complained of stomach pain. He was taken to a quack Mujahid who administered him an injection. Immediately after, the boy’s condition worsened and he was shifted to the district headquarters hospital where he died three hours later.

Following his death, the victim’s family and locals staged a protest demo against the health authorities by placing the dead body in front of the hospital gate on Noor Shah Road.

They demanded registration of a case against the quake who fled the scene.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2018