FAISALABAD, Nov 17: Investigation police have sought medical and legal opinion in a sodomy-cum-murder case registered against a juvenile, Muzammal Ali, 12. Reports said Tarkhani police had registered a case under Sections 302 and 377 of the PPC and 12 Hudood Ordinance on the complaint of one Shakeel Ahmed (38) of Chak 52-GB a fortnight ago.

The complainant said his six-year-old son, Aqeel Ahmed, had gone missing when he was on way home from his fields. Shakeel said that he together with his brother Tanveer Husain and a relative, Muhammad Husain, searched Aqeel and found Muzammal Ali coming out of the sugarcane fields. He said they had tried to intercept Muzammal to ask him about his son but he slipped away. Later, they found Aqeel’s body nearby, he said.

Shakeel alleged that they had found Aqeel with a fractured arm and marks of nail-injuries on his neck. He alleged that his son was murdered by Muzammal after committing sodomy with him.

Later, the post mortem report also confirmed injuries on his neck and a fractured arm. Aqeel was supposed to be strangled.

The accused is in police custody and his parents and relatives are not being allowed to see him. The police said Muzammal would be formally arrested after the receipt of the chemical analysis report.

The police investigation team, however, recorded statements of about a dozen of his class fellows and three female teachers who said that Muzammal was a naughty boy and had allegedly tried to electrocute a teacher to death. Once a dagger was also reportedly recovered from his possession.

Talking to this correspondent, Muzammal said his father was a chronic cardiac patient and he had not murdered Aqeel after sodomy. The deceased had a weak physique and died under mysterious circumstances, he said.

Meanwhile, SP (Investigation) Tauqeer Hayat said: “This is a unique case in which a juvenile is involved in a sodomy-cum-murder case. It has yet to be determined in the presence of existing laws how to proceed against a juvenile in such a case.”