SAHIWAL: A prayer leader and head of a seminary along with his senior student gang-raped a minor boy in the Hamayatabad area of Khanewal City.

The head of the Madressah Jamia Al-Habibia left the nine-year-old boy home in critical condition on Sunday morning. When the victim child’s uncle, Ghulam Abbas, asked him about the bleeding, he told him about the ordeal.

According to reports, the child, a resident of Azizabad Basti, was doing hifz at the Jamia Al-Habibiya for the last one year. His mother was dead and his father was suffering from a mental disorder. He was residing at the madressah and would visit his home once a month.

The child told the police he was gang-raped by his teacher and a senior student in the hujra of ‘Qari Sahib’ at night between Saturday and Sunday. After his condition got worse due to the bleeding in the morning, the seminary head left him home and threatened him of consequences if he told anybody about the incident. On seeing his condition, the child’s uncle informed the Rescue 1122 and police.

Rescue 1122 shifted the boy to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Khanewal where the doctors confirmed the gang rape. The hospital sources said the child was suffering from mental and physical trauma but his condition was stabilising.

The suspects include head of the seminary

Inspector General of Police Usman Anwar took notice of the incident and directed the Khanewal police to arrest the suspects.

Khanewal City Police SHO Saad Bin Saeed told Dawn by phone that both the suspects, namely the head of the madressah and a senior student, had been arrested. He said both the suspects were taken into custody from the seminary within two hours of the report.

Police booked the suspects under various sections of the PPC on the complaint of the victim’s uncle.

DIES: An outlaw who was injured in a police encounter near Chak 87/6-R, Madhali Road the other day expired at the Sahiwal Teaching Hospital on Sunday.

Farid Town police SHO Ashraf Gujjar identified the deceased as Asif Alis Mona, a resident of Ferozwala, District Sheikhupura.

A statement by the district police said five armed robbers tried to enter a house in Chichawatni city but the family got alarmed. The family members resorted to aerial firing, making the suspects run away in their car. The family told police about the colour and registration number of the car.

Farid Town police spotted the same car on the Madhali Road and followed it. On seeing the police van, the suspect opened fire at it while police retaliated. The suspects left their car near Chak 87/6-R and entered the nearby maize fields.

During the crossfire, police hit one suspect while his four companions escaped. Police captured the injured suspect and shifted him to the Sahiwal Teaching Hospital.

Police claimed that the deceased suspect was nominated in more than 44 criminal cases.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2023