A young man was beaten up and abused in a grotesquely inhumane way in the Mohri Pur area of Khanewal district's Kabirwala town after area residents suspected him of being in a relationship with a girl, DawnNews reported on Wednesday.

The man, Amir, a resident of Ali Pur and labourer by profession, was initially severely beaten up. His face was then blackened and he was dragged into the alleys and forced to act like a dog.

The culprits, believed to be people of influence in the locality, later handed him over to police, who are reported to have let him go after being 'paid' Rs30,000. They have also seized the victim's motorcycle.

The young man's ordeal created a wave of terror in the area, but police sprang into action only after the story was picked up by media.

District Police Officer (DPO) Khanewal Rizwan Umar Gondal visited the area and suspended the SHO of Sarai Sidhu and an assistant sub-inspector for 'neglecting their duties.'

A first-information report of the incident, however, has still not been filed, with police insisting upon first identifying and arresting the accused.