KASUR: The Raja Jang police on Sunday recovered the body of a 15-year-old boy at a poultry farm at Rao Khanwala village.

The body was hanged with the ceiling of a room of the poultry farm where he worked. The family alleged that the boy was hanged after being raped. The incident sparked protest as family members, villagers and relatives staged a protest demonstration against police. They blocked road near Steel Bagh Morr on Ferozepur Road chanting slogans against police and demanded arrest of the killer.

On the assurance of DPO Imran Kishwar, the protesters dispersed peacefully. Later, police arrested the seven employs of the poultry farm and registered a murder case against them.

The mounting pressure on social media after the news that the boy had been killed after rape forced police to issue a press release in which it claimed that the boy had committed suicide. Police also claimed that initial medical report suggested that the boy was not raped and there was no torture mark or injury on the body.

The Raja Jang police registered a murder case on the complaint of boy’s father Muhammad Mustafa, a resident of Peerowala Road, against seven suspects Abid Ali, Abid Saeed, Muhammad Shakar, Muhammad Ashraf, Muhammad Shoaib, residents of Okara, Muhammad Mustafa of Lahore, and Muhammad Aslam of Jhang. They are aged between 18 and 25.

According to the FIR lodged under section 302, 147 and 149 of PPC, Rana Faisal and Manzoor informed the complainant that the condition of his son Muhammad Awais, 15, was not well. The complainant reached the poultry farm and found the body of his son hanged with the ceiling of a room.

He said he had no dispute with any member of the family. He expressed his doubt on the coworkers of Awais who started his job at the poultry farm only five days back.

In another incident, 20-year-old Ali Hamza of Ali Ahmed Shah Colony sprinkled petrol on himself over domestic issue. Rescue 1122 shifted the injured to the DHQ hospital for medical aid.

BREACH: A 15-foot wide breach inundated standing crops at Mudkay village on Sunday.

The breach occurred at Rajbah Niaz Baig and flooded fields of fodder and wheat crops. The local farmers, however, blamed the irrigation department officials who turned a deaf ear to their repeated complaints that the embankments were getting weak and in need of repair.

They also said that the irrigation department officials reached the venue many hours after the incident and the farmers had to tackle the situation by themselves.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2021