A young boy was admitted to Hyderabad's Liaquat University Hospital (LUH) after being injured in an attempted sexual assault, it emerged on Sunday.

The boy's brother, Mohsin Soomro, alleged that four men tried to subject the 16-year-old to sodomy in a field in Matiari district.

Soomro said that his brother's friend had come to their home on June 12 and had taken his brother for a ride on his motorcycle. When they did not return after two hours, the boy's father tried to contact him but in vain.

He said that he and his uncle then started searching in the area. "When we reached a mango orchard, I heard my brother's cries. The accused fled upon seeing us."

Soomro alleged that his brother received neck injuries from a knife while resisting the attempt. The boy was taken first to a hospital in the district but was shifted to LUH on Saturday.

A first information report (FIR) has been registered against the accused under section 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), section 377 (unnatural offences), section 324 (attempt to commit qatl-i-amd) and section 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or for a shorter term) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Soomro claimed that the police registered the FIR after a day's delay.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Asif Bughio said that raids were conducted but none of the accused have been arrested so far.