Kasur policeman arrested for allegedly killing teenaged boy for refusing relationship

Published May 26, 2020
The 18-year-old victim is the son of a local prayer leader. — AP/File
The 18-year-old victim is the son of a local prayer leader. — AP/File

Khudian police have arrested a member of the Punjab Highway Patrol (PHP) police, who allegedly sexually harassed and later on Sunday shot dead an 18-year-old boy for allegedly refusing to have a relationship with him in Punjab's Kasur district, officials said on Tuesday.

The victim, who was shot dead near main Khudian bazaar in the limits of Khudian police station, is the son of a local prayer leader, on whose complaint a First Information Report (FIR) of the incident was registered.

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar took notice of the incident and sought a report from the provincial police chief as outrage over the killing grew louder on social media. The chief minister, while condoling with the bereaved family, assured them of justice, according to reports.

The deceased was a Hafiz-e-Quran and a member of the Jamiat Ahle Hadith. The suspect, 30, is an official of the patrolling police who was posted at Noorpur police post at Deepalpur Road.

Both the victim and the suspect were stated to be fast friends and they reportedly had relations in the past, Station House Officer Mohammad Ashraf told Dawn.

The deceased's father stated in the complaint that the suspect stopped his son at the corner of an alley while the latter was walking to a mosque for Fajr prayers on Eid day. The suspect threatened the teenager with his gun and warned that he would kill him if he (the deceased) did not agree to have sexual relations with him, the FIR said.

After the victim turned down the suspect's overture, the police official allegedly opened fire on him, resulting in an injury, according to the FIR, a copy of which is available with Dawn.

The complainant, who was nearby, said he and some other people tried to catch the suspect but he fled the scene while brandishing his weapon.

The injured victim was rushed to the Kasur District Headquarters Hospital where doctors referred him to Lahore General Hospital in critical condition. He later succumbed to his injuries at the Lahore hospital.

Police arrested the suspect soon after the incident and started an investigation into the case from various angles.

Police officials said investigators will also look beyond the details in the FIR to dispense justice and claimed that the incident had nothing to do with any sect or religious element.

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