In a shocking incident, a tenant farmer had his ear chopped off by a landlord in Chak No9 Shumali, Bhalwal tehsil of Sargodha.
According to a report in a local English daily, the tenant, Muhammad Riaz’s buffalo had wandered off, grazing in the landlord Irshad Ashraf’s fields, which triggered the fight. With the help of his brothers, Naveed and Asghar and six other men, he brought Riaz back to his Dera (outhouse), where they allegedly tortured the tenant after blindfolding him. According to details, the accused sliced one of his ears off and broke his legs.
The victim was rushed to the nearby District Headquarter Hospital, Sargodha but the doctors have declared his condition to be critical. Riaz, 52, is a labourer and has two children.
SHO Saddar Muhammad Akram told the newspaper that a complaint has been filed by the tortured farmer’s cousin, Ulfat Hussain. He said that the police were awaiting the medico-legal report from the hospital so that action can be taken against the landlord and his accomplices. Three of the accused — Naveed, Asghar and Sajjad, have already been arrested, he added.
The complainant told the police that his cousin kept shouting for help but no one in the entire village came to his rescue. When he was eventually thrown by the culprits outside the house, after he became unconscious; the family was warned not to take the matter to the police.