Seminary student dies of torture in Lahore

LAHORE: A 14-year-old seminary student died after allegedly being tortured at a madrassa in Lahore Cantonment, and police have registered a murder case against a suspect, officials said on Saturday.

Police identified the boy as Ali Haider, a resident of Bahawalnagar. According to police, the alleged abuse was not reported when it occurred. Instead, the family took the child back to their hometown and continued his treatment there privately. He later succumbed to his injuries, after which the family contacted the Police Helpline 15 and informed authorities about the alleged assault.

Following the report, Burki police travelled to Bahawalnagar to begin legal formalities. Police also stopped the burial process to complete legal requirements and shifted the body to a hospital for an autopsy.

SP Cantt Akhtar Nawaz said further action would be taken in light of the post-mortem findings and other evidence gathered during the investigation. He said a murder case had been lodged against Qari Ghulam Rasool on the complaint of the deceased boy’s uncle, while police teams were carrying out raids at different places to arrest the suspect.