In a shocking case of juveniles committing heinous crimes, two boys – eight-year-old Alamgir* and 13-year-old Karamat* – are in police custody for killing 13-year-old Usman*. The story unfolds in the slum of Mawach Goth No 2, where the three boys went to visit a shrine, and were returning home when Usman tried to molest Alamgir. “The three boys were friends,” Sikandar Ali, the investigation officer the case, told Pakistan Today. “Usman asked Alamgir and Karamat to accompany him on his visit to the shrine of Qasim Ali Shah,” he added. “On their way back, Usman took the other boys to a vacant plot adjacent to the shrine and forced Alamgir to take off his clothes. But he refused and both Alamgir and Karamat killed Usman.”
In their joint statements, both boys confessed to committing the murder. “Usman had deceived us and tried to rape Alamgir,” the investigation officer quoted Karamat as saying in his statement. “I love Alamgir and I killed Usman to save him. I requested Usman not to do that [molest Alamgir], but he did not listen, and I found a rope in the plot and we both strangled him to death. We feared that he might survive and take revenge, so we smashed his head with bricks, and after we were satisfied that he was dead, we escaped.”
The police found Usman’s body at the plot on the morning of December 20. It was taken to the Civil Hospital Karachi and later handed over to the victim’s heirs for burial.
On the complaint of the victim’s father, the Mauripur police registered FIR No 491/11 under Section 302/34 against unidentified culprits.
Usman’s father told the police that his son left home on the night of December 19. After a few days passed, a resident of Sheikh Mohalla in Maghrabi Line, Mawach Goth informed the police that he had seen two boys, who he recognises, escaping from the scene of the crime on December 20.
On the information provided by that man, the police arrested Alamgir and Karamat.
“We took both boys to the judicial magistrate 9, West Zone and he sent them on a 14-day remand to the Remand Home Garden,” the investigating officer said.
“Usman’s father has forgiven both boys. However, we shall take them to the magistrate on January 3 and then take them to whichever court the magistrate decides,” he added.
*Name changed to protect identity.