LAHORE: The Punjab police on Tuesday arrested 12 suspects for the alleged murder of a “Papad” (rice cracker) seller at a wedding ceremony in Pattoki.
According to the first information report (FIR), the rice cracker vendor Muhammad Ashraf got into a dispute with guests at a wedding procession in Pattoki after which he was beaten up and dragged inside the wedding hall.
The incident came to the fore when footage, allegedly showing Ashraf’s body near a seemingly apathetic crowd that continued eating at the wedding, went viral on social media and aroused public anger at the callousness on display.
In a statement, District Police Officer (DPO) Kasur Muhammad Sohaib Ashraf confirmed the arrest of 12 suspects in an operation in Kanganpur and Sarai Mughal last night in connection with the alleged killing of laborer Muhammad Ashraf in a marriage hall. He said that doctors did not confirm torture on the deceased in initial post-mortem report, but every aspect of the incident was being investigated. He said the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) team has gathered evidence from the scene and the real facts will come out after the final report.
The Punjab Police spokesperson said that Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and IG Punjab Rao Sardar Ali had taken notice of the incident last night and police teams were engaged in legal proceedings to provide justice to the affected family.
He said the IG Punjab has directed the DPO Kasur to personally supervise the investigation. The spokesperson said as per the digital evidence, a scuffle occurred between deceased Muhammad Ashraf (selling salty chips) and guests coming with Barat at Aljannat Marriage Hall.
“The accused along with their local accomplices started beating him (Ashraf) with sticks and fists and subjected the victim to inhumane torture which he succumbed to his injuries on the spot,” he said, adding that CCTV footage and other evidences were being scrutinized for further investigation involving more persons and no effort would be spared in providing justice to the victim’s family.
The FIR was registered at Pattoki police station by the deceased’s brother-in-law, Parvez, on Monday under section 147 (punishment for rioting), section 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) and 302 (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The complainant said he and a companion were passing by Al-Jannat wedding hall at Pattoki’s Kahna Road around 4:00pm when he saw five to six people along with others beating his brother-in-law Muhammad Ashraf. “We went and started pleading with the people who were beating him to stop. They dragged him inside the wedding hall,” the FIR quoted him as saying. He said Ashraf died on the spot from his injuries.
He added that upon inquiring he found out that the suspects had arrived with the wedding procession and Ashraf was selling rice crackers there. An altercation happened over the purchase of crackers upon which the suspects started beating him with some local accomplices, the FIR stated.
The complainant claimed that he and other witnesses could identify the suspects if they were brought before them. “Severe injustice has been done to us,” he said while demanding justice.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022