HARIPUR: The police on Sunday arrested four people for assault and murder of a minor boy.

Police said Haseebullah, 6, son of Habibur Rehman, a Kohistani by origin and presently settled in Mohallah Jandran of Sera-i-Saleh, had been missing since May 23, and despite efforts neither family nor police could find his whereabouts.

However, the police said the locals spotted Haseeb’s body beneath a bridge near River Daur, which was shifted to Haripur Trauma Centre for autopsy.

Witnesses who helped police shift the body to hospital told mediapersons that the body carried visible torture marks on head, face and groins, indicating the minor was assaulted before murder.

However, the police said cause of death and whether or not the boy was assaulted would be determined after receipt of autopsy report.

On the complaint of Habib ur Rehman, the police arrested Syed Sibtain Shah, Sajawal, Siddique and Abdullah for the murder.

Meanwhile, a man was shot dead over a land dispute in Dheri Kangra village on Sunday.

Police quoted witnesses as saying that Babar Khan of Dheri Kangra was collecting his wheat harvest when Mohammad Nawaz and his son, Tahir came there and asked him not to collect the harvest as they were the real owners. However, when Babar refused, they allegedly opened fire killing him on the spot. The accused fled the scene.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2019