LAHORE: The murder of a seven-year-old boy after sexual assault in Green Town sparked protest as hundreds of people, including relatives of the victim, on Saturday demanded immediate arrest of the culprits.

The charged relatives asked the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take suo motu notice of the inhuman act and hang the criminals publicly to set an example for others. They placed the body of the boy on the road near Behari Colony and raised slogans against the prayer leader of the mosque where the body of the victim was found hanged.

Moeen was found hanged from a fan of the second floor of Baitul Mukarm mosque at Bihari Colony, Green Town on Friday. The locals who had entered the mosque to offer Friday prayers alerted the police after seeing the body.

A doctor at morgue said that after examining the body for postmortem it was revealed that the boy was sexually assaulted before murder.

The police took on Saturday statements of more witnesses and continued investigation for the identity of the culprits involved in the murder of the boy.

Capital City Police Officer Amin Wains reached the protest site and held negotiations with the relatives of the victim. He told them that police had already taken three suspects into custody.

Green Town SHO Sharif Sindhu told Dawn that officials of intelligence agencies had taken the suspects to an undisclosed place for interrogation. He refused to share identity of the suspects arrested by the police.

Punjab government spokesman Zaeem Qadri said the government was utilising all available resources to arrest the criminals. While condoling with the family of Moeen, he assured them of justice.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said the murder of a child in Green Town was highly tragic. He said those involved in the murder would not escape punishment.

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2015

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