After an enraged mob took to the streets and attacked a police station in Kasur's tehsil Chunian to condemn the brutal rape-cum-murders of three minors and alleged apathy of police in dealing with child abuse cases, Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Arif Nawaz Khan on Wednesday ordered suspension of two police officers for their failure to control the situation effectively.
According to the order, DSP Chunian Naeem Wirk and Chunian City SHO Irfan Gill were suspended over their inefficiency in dealing with the incidents. He said that many individuals are being investigated with regards to the incident and that three different investigation teams are working in Chunian.
The IG said the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) will conduct DNA tests of the three minors' remains and it will be matched with the DNA of the suspects. He said he was getting constant updates on the case.
The suspension of the cops came after the protesters blocked roads in Chunian and burned tires and shouted slogans against the police. The demonstrators also surrounded the Chunian police station as they protested against lack of arrests and incidents of child abduction. On Monday, the Chunian police recovered remains of three minors from sand dunes near Chunian bypass. Of them, police identified one minor as Faizan (8), a son of prayer leader, who was killed after being sodomised. It may be noted that four children - aged between eight and 12 years - had been missing since June with 8-year-old Faizan disappearing on Monday night.
Before Faizan, 12-year-old Muhammad Imran of Rana Town went missing on June 3 while 9-year-old Ali Husnain and 8-year-old Suleman Akram of Ghausiabad went missing on August 8 and Aug 17, respectively. Locals say a fifth child is also missing. One of the bodies was identified as that of Faizan, while the remains were believed to be of Ali and Suleman. However, the police have yet to find any clue about Imran's whereabouts. Meanwhile, funeral prayers of Faizan were offered in Kasur which was attended by a large number of locals.
Zuhaib Abid, medical officer at THQ Hospital Chunian, said the autopsy report confirmed that Faizan had died after being sodomised and physically tortured. About the findings of the postmortem, he said the victim suffered "asphyxia due to fracture of hyoid bone because of strangulation and neck choking". "Above mentioned injuries and acts are antemortem (occurring or performed before death) in nature and are sufficient to cause death in the ordinary course of nature," the officer added. However, a final opinion will be given after receiving reports from the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA), he suggested.
Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar had taken notice of the incident and sought a report from the Inspector General of police. He also demanded the killers be traced at the earliest.
In the last few years, Kasur has been rocked by multiple incidents of abuse, rape and killing of children. The deaths are an uneasy reminder of the horrific rape and murder of six-year-old girl Zainab Ansari - a case which sparked widespread outrage and protests across the country after the minor's body was found in a trash heap in Kasur in January 2018. Imran Ali, who was convicted for Zainab's rape and murder, was executed nine months after the child's death.