BAHAWALPUR — The prime suspect in the killing of a 15-year-old orphan, who was crushed to death by a car in Multan, was killed in an alleged police encounter, authorities said, days after CCTV footage from multiple angles contradicted the suspects’ claim that the death was an accident.
Suspect Flees Remand, Dies in Shootout
According to District Officer CCD Irfan Akbar, the accused, identified as Tauqir Nazir, was arrested after the incident and produced before a court, where a Judicial Magistrate handed him over to police on a four-day remand. He fled from custody, the officer said.
Akbar said police attempted to stop two motorcyclists on the Northern Bypass in Bahawalpur. When officers intercepted them, the suspects opened fire while attempting to escape. During the exchange, Tauqir was killed by gunfire from his own accomplice, who subsequently fled the scene, according to the officer.
CCTV Footage Refutes Accident Claim
The killing of the 15-year-old boy in a private housing society in Multan was captured by several CCTV cameras, whose footage showed the boy being chased and then run over by a car.
The suspects sought to portray the death as an accident, but videos from multiple cameras at different angles established that it was a deliberate and brutal murder, according to the footage reviewed.
- One camera captured the boy running away as the suspects pursued him.
- Another video showed a speeding car running over the boy, killing him on the spot.
Police subsequently took action, arrested a suspect and registered a murder case.
Boy Was Sent to Suspect to Learn Electrical Work
According to CPO Multan Akhtar Farooq, the deceased boy, identified as Waseem Abbas, was staying at an NGO orphanage, from where he was sent to the accused Tauqir seven days earlier to learn the work of an electrician.
The accused took electrical work contracts in various buildings, and children from the orphanage had previously received training from him, the officer said. According to police, when the boy left the work, he was chased and a car was driven over him.
Reports indicated that the orphaned child had grown weary of the alleged inhuman treatment meted out by the accused and did not want to continue working. Lawyers also subjected the accused to torture during his appearance in court, it was noted.
