SUKKUR: Beheaded body of a young boy, who went missing in mysterious circumstances eight days ago in Ali Bakhsh Hajanu village in Khairpur district, was found lying in wheat fields on the outskirts of the village on Tuesday.

Some villagers spotted the decapitated body of Ali Raza in the field and informed Kotdiji police and the victim’s relatives.

Police officials said that they shifted the head and the torso to Khairpur Civil Hospital, which were handed over to heirs after completion of post mortem examination.

Sources said that when the body reached the village, many members of the bereaved family could not bear the sight of the beheaded body and fainted. No member of the family was in a position to speak to media, they said.

Rights and social activists, including advocate Abid Ali Soomro, advocate Ali Ahmad Memon and Ms Shahnaz Shaikh, said the heinous crime had jolted Khairpur and challenged writ of police and rule of law.

They said that it raised questions over police vigilance. Khairpur police should play a proactive role in bringing the culprits involved in the heinous crime to justice.

They demanded IGP Sindh take notice of the tragedy and provide justice to the bereaved family.

They warned if the boy’s killers were not arrested immediately, they would start a protest drive. Police had not so far registered a murder case nor made any arrest.

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2024