FAISALABAD: June 24: The police recovered the lifeless body of 8-year-old Shakeel from a neighbor’s bathroom on Wednesday, a day after he went missing from Sarli.
According to reports, Shakeel, the son of Saleem, left his home on Tuesday to buy a bottle from a nearby shop. After he was unaccounted for for some time, his family launched a search that continued overnight.
Authorities revealed that Shakeel’s body was discovered on Wednesday morning inside the residence of a neighbor named Anwar Ali. The child bore rope marks around his neck. The neighbor and his family had disappeared by the time police arrived. A case has been registered, and search operations are underway to locate the suspects.
Relatives of Shakeel have expressed suspicions that he was subjected to sexual assault prior to his death. Officials stated that the precise cause of death will be determined after conducting a post-mortem examination.
However, the process was delayed. Six hours after the body was recovered, it remained outside the Rural Health Centre in Chak 30. No medical personnel were available on duty, prompting family members to block the road and stage a protest, calling for the immediate involvement of the Prime Minister’s Office.
Police confirmed that investigations are ongoing, with teams actively trying to apprehend the fleeing suspects.
This heartbreaking event follows closely on the heels of a similar tragedy in Sargodha, where a 7-year-old girl, Muntaha Zahra, was raped and murdered by a shopkeeper. The case drew significant attention after CCTV footage surfaced, showing the young girl entering the shop for her last visit. Her body was later found on the third floor of the same shop.
The main accused, Muhammad Arslan, fled the scene but was later apprehended with the help of advanced investigative technology. During interrogation, Arslan confessed to the crime.
While being transported to recover the murder weapon, some of Arslan’s accomplices allegedly opened fire on the Crime Crime Department (CCD) team. In the exchange of gunfire, Arslan was killed, and the assailants reportedly escaped the scene, according to officials.
