KASUR: A 100-foot wide breach in the BRB canal near the village of Burj Kalan inundated crops on Thursday.

According to villagers, the breach occurred due to the alleged negligence of the irrigation department and local administration. The villagers claimed that the administration avoided repairing the weak embankment despite repeated complaints.

Standing crops, including fodder, rice, maize and vegetables, were submerged in the canal water.

Later, farmers along with irrigation and administration officials stopped the canal water near Badian village and diverted the water into an ‘escape drain’ to repair the embankment.

ARRESTED: Allahabad police arrested three suspects and were conducting raids to nab as many of their accomplices who allegedly tortured an eight-year-old boy by hanging him from a ceiling fan to settle an old score with the boy’s father on Thursday.

One of the suspects, Jan Muhammad, nurtured a grudge against his neighbour Asghar over a minor issue. Around three days ago, Jan and five accomplices kidnapped Tayyab and took him to their house. They hung the boy upside down from a ceiling fan, recorded a video of the incident and uploaded it on social media, which alerted the police.

The police filed a case against the suspects Jan Muhammad, Danish and Asif.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2023