SIALKOT, July 18: A minor boy was tortured and injured by a trader on suspicion of theft at his house, it is learnt.

A local trader, Faisal Sheikh, allegedly kidnapped seven-year-old Ameer Hamza from his house in city’s congested Sarai Bhabhariyaan locality a week ago. The trader suspected the child to be involved in theft at his house.

He took Hamza to his house where he tortured the boy with red-hot iron rods on various parts of his body and also tried to strangulate him. The boy suffered burns and fell unconscious after raising hue and cry.

Some people gathered there and informed the boy’s family about the situation, which rushed to the trader’s house and found the boy in critical condition. The trader was, however, missing. The child was admitted to hospital.

The trader had earlier informed the police that Hamza, a friend of his son, had stolen valuables from his house. Instead of questioning his son, the trader tortured Ameer Hamza, who is the son of a milkman.

Hamza’s parents told Dawn that their son was innocent, as he could not even think of stealing valuables from anybody’s house.

“We contacted Sialkot Tehsil Nazim Imtiazuddin Dar who directed the Kotwali police to register a case against the trader. The police instituted a case (No 213/2006) under sections 337-L2 and 342 of PPC, changing the nature of the case by succumbing to the influence of the suspect,” cried out the family.

Sharafat Ali, the victim’s father, said the police should have registered a case under a section which relates to abduction.

The family has submitted a writ petition in court of the district and sessions judge to conduct probe against the Kotwali police. The petition said the Kotwali police got the family’s signatures on white paper and changed the nature of the case.

The accused, they said, was threatening them with dire consequences for reporting the matter to the police.

Petitioner’s counsel Advocate Shahid Mir, who is also a human rights activist, told Dawn that nominated accused Faisal Sheikh and his accomplices had secured pre-arrest bail by a local court.

He said it was a condemnable act of which the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan had taken a serious notice.

The poor family, in the meantime, has appealed to President Gen Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and the chief justice of the Supreme Court to help them in the hour of trial, besides taking action against the Kotwali police officials.