By Saleem Mubarak
LAHORE: No smoking gun is available against the parents of four children who tragically passed away under mysterious circumstances in Chak 554-GB, Mamunkanjan, a rural town in Faisalabad. However, police have registered a murder case against them, adding fuel to the fire.
Murder Case Registered Against Parents in Faisalabad
The case was registered under sections 201, 302, 337-J and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code with no arrest. Sub-inspector, Muhammad Ilyas, is the applicant of the case.
In his application, Muhammad Ilyas, SHO of Mamunkanjan police, claimed that while he was at Bangla Chowk with other policemen, he got wind of a child’s death in Baqar Shah Basti in Chak 554-GB. Following the information, he said they immediately proceeded to the spot where they encountered Ameer Ali.
Ameer Ali told the police that on December 12th, his family members, including the children, had consumed tea followed by sugarcane juice. He said that the juice had deteriorated their condition.
Subsequently, he said blisters appeared in the children’s mouths. Sensing the situation, he said the children were immediately rushed to Aisha Memorial Hospital in Mamu Kanjan. However, Ameer Ali said that the hospital referred them to Civil Hospital, Sahiwal.
He said his son Ameer Ali, 3, breathed his last on Dec 15. Two days later, two-year-old Zohra, daughter of Abdul Ghani also passed away. The next day, her elder sister Noor Fatima, 5, also met her maker. He said Ali Ahmed son of Ameer Ali, 13, was the fourth child who kicked the bucket on Dec 23.
Both sisters were the granddaughters of Ameer Ali.
The SHO said that as soon as someone dies, the relatives bury them without informing the police. He alleged that the children died after consuming or being fed a toxic substance.
Based on these allegations, police have booked Amir Ali, and his son Abdul Ghani in the case.
Police Accused of Playing Fast and Loose
Ahtsham Ul Haq, a broadcast journalist of Faisalabad, asserted that the police are playing fast and loose when it comes to enforcing the law.
Elaborating on his claim, he cited an incident where a few weeks ago, policemen of the CIA Samundri were found guilty of kidnapping three people and subsequently releasing them after receiving a hefty bribe.
He lamented that instead of registering a kidnapping case against the accused policemen, the police only booked them under section 342 of the Pakistan Penal Code without making any arrests.
In stark contrast, he said the Mamunkanjan police have added insult to injury by booking the parents under section 302 of the PPC. However, he contended that the facts narrated in the FIR by the Mamunkanjan police SHO do not stand up to scrutiny and do not warrant murder charges.
Grieving Parents Treated as Suspects
He said it seems the police officers’ game plan is to pin the blame on the grieving parents, likely to save their own necks from the wrath of their superiors.
Haq questioned how murder charges could be leveled against the parents when the FIR explicitly stated that the children consumed tea and sugarcane juice and subsequently fell ill. He asked, “Where is the deliberate intention to harm children in this situation?”
He said the policemen have a duty to monitor issues within their assigned areas, as outlined in their beat book, but they clearly failed to fulfill this responsibility.
Haq argued that disciplinary action should have been taken against the beat officer and other employees, as they failed to inform higher authorities about such a critical incident.
Talking to the media, area people also criticized the police saying merely filing a case against the parents without any concrete evidence is perceived as a blatant attempt to throw dust in the public eyes. They said this action will not bring true justice for innocent children who lost their lives.
They said that the police actions are primarily driven by a desire to cover their own backs rather than a genuine pursuit of truth and accountability.
Previous Incident Highlights Concerns Over Police Conduct
In May last, five people including three sisters and their mother died after eating poisonous herbal medicine known as Phakki. The incident took place in the remit of Garh police station.
In response to this devastating event, the police registered a murder case against the shopkeeper who sold the Phakki. The husband of the deceased woman is the complainant in this case.
Need for Reform to Protect Vulnerable Families
People argued that the police dropped the ball by not thoroughly investigating the circumstances surrounding the children’s tragic deaths. They questioned how a family already grief-stricken by such a devastating loss could be treated as suspects in their own children’s deaths.
They said instead of offering support and compassion during this incredibly difficult time, the police have rubbed salt in the wound by compounding the family’s grief, which is undeniably unjust.
They implored the police officers to get to the root of the problem by investigating potential causes of illness, such as food poisoning or other contributing factors, instead of targeting grieving parents.
Police Spokesperson Unavailable for Comment
The Faisalabad police spokesman, was contacted for the comments that why parents have been booked in the murder case without any solid evidence. He did not get back to this scribe even after two days of receiving the message.
A police officer said that an investigation into the issue has been set in motion to ascertain the facts.
