By Saleem Mubarak
LAHORE: The traditional crime tracing methods are still effective, and one such technique helped the Dijkot police connect the dots in tracing the killer of a teenage egg seller.
His body was discovered in a deserted plot on Nov 18 last.
A Price for Truth?
People say the deceased had to pay the price for his father’s unflinching stand for truth. However, the police stated that the teenage boy fell victim to the dark side of humanity, as he was subjected to sodomy before being killed by criminals.
The Horrific Details
This tragic incident took place in Chak No 270-RB, Majhi Wal, Dijkot, Faisalabad, in the remit of the Dijkot police station.
Reports said that 13-year-old boy, Qadeer, had left his home on Nov 17 to sell eggs. However, he did not return home and his body was found on the outskirts of his village.
Police Investigation
Talking to Grand Lines PK, Muhammad Hussain, the SHO of the Dijkot police, said that the police received a call from a citizen who claimed that a body was lying in a deserted area in Majhi Wal. Following the breadcrumbs, he said the police quickly reached the spot and informed their superiors about the incident.
He mentioned that the police also called the Punjab Forensic Science Agency to collect evidence from the scene. Sensing the gravity of the situation, he noted that senior police officials visited the site to get to the bottom of what had happened.
The police launched the investigation into the issue and checked multiple aspects to trace the criminals, leaving no stone unturned.
Role of Traditional Crime Tracing Methods
He said a traditional Khoji (detective) was also called on the spot and, hot on the trail, detected some shoe spots which led to a house where the teenager was killed. The sniffer dogs were also brought to the scene for confirmation, and they too led to the same house where the Khoji had taken us.
A Khoji is trained to identify the footprints of both people and animals.
Besides, he noted that the trail of blood drops also led to the same house.
The Arrest of the Accused
However, the police found the house locked as the accused managed to escape from the spot after allegedly killing the boy.
The SHO said the police used different sources which, being on the scent, helped trace the accused, Junaid, who was residing in that house.
Police succeeded in arresting Junaid from Faisalabad bus stand as he was trying to move to Sargodha. He said the accused had switched off his phone and got a new contact number to avoid detection. However, he used the old phone set whose IMEI helped police to track his location.
He said police interrogated Junaid who revealed the entire sordid scene and names of his accomplices.
He claimed that the ill-fated boy was subjected to rape by the criminals, adding insult to injury.
Police Commitment to Justice
He said that the City Police Officer of Faisalabad, Kamran Adil, kept a close eye on police performance and provided all sorts of resources to track down the criminals so that the police could bring them to justice as soon as possible. He mentioned that the accused, Junaid, is an orphan and has a checkered past.
Junaid and his two accomplices, identified as Mujahid and Faryad, subjected the poor boy to sodomy. He said accused Junaid with the help of his aunt washed the room where he had killed Qadeer.
He explained that Junaid killed the innocent boy, who was selling eggs just to make ends meet and save up for a bicycle, as his parents were unable to fulfill his desire due to their financial struggles.
He noted that the elder brother of the ill-fated boy works as an egg salesman and had been providing a few dozen eggs to his younger brother daily, keeping the ball rolling.
He said the poor boy had been depositing Rs 100 daily to his mother so that he could save up for a bicycle.
Police Inaction and Public Outrage
Area people claimed that the family of the deceased boy reported his disappearance to the police. However, the police turned a blind eye and merely filed a report about the missing child.
They said it was the primary duty of the police to launch a search to trace him, but authorities took no action.
A Possible Motive
People mentioned that a girl kidnapping case had been registered against Junaid a couple of months ago, and Muhammad Hafeez, the father of the deceased boy, was a key witness against him in that case.
They said the accused had threatened Hafeez with grave consequences if he testified against him. However, they claimed that Hafeez refused to bend the knee to the criminals, and his unwavering stance ultimately led to his son’s tragic death.
The SHO said that this was incorrect and emphasized that the criminals killed the boy solely to satisfy their twisted desires.
He said the police could not reverse the damage; however, we assure the masses that the culprits will face the music.
