LAHORE: The mystery of the circumstances in which, Mahd Faisal, student of C-1 of Aitchison College, was shot leading to his unfortunate demise failed to clear up on Friday. In the meanwhile, Investigation Police Cantt converted the attempt to murder case into a murder case after Mahd’s demise at the Neurosurgery Ward of General Hospital late on Thursday night.
Case updates: Mahd Faisal was shot on December 20 by a friend, sources suggest, accidentally during a get-together with friends.
Faisal, Mahd’s father, registered a case with North Cantonment Police on December 21. After Mahd’s death the case was converted into a murder case under section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The Cantt police investigation wing have started a probe into the incident but no arrest has been made.
Cantonment Police Superintendent Investigation Syed Amin Bukhari talking to Pakistan Today confirmed investigations were underway. He said police handed the body of the deceased, Mahd, to his family after autopsy, who laid him to rest on Friday after the funeral prayer was offered at Khalid Masjid in Cavarly Ground.
Bukhari, speaking of his conversation with Mahd’s family said, “I was personally looking after the case and with the family throughout but after the funeral Mahd’s father refused to talk to me. He did not speak utter more that two or three lines to me.”
Bukhari confirmed that Mahd’s father had registered the case without nominating an accused and was now likely to let the case drop because they believe the shooting was accidental. He confirmed that the friends present at the get together, where the shooting occurred, had also been present at General Hospital in hope of Mahd’s recovery.
Sources confirmed that both police and the family of Mahd believe Mahd’s was shot accidentally. Sources also confirmed police officials have not questioned the friends of Mahd.
SP Investigation Bukhari confirmed not interrogating any of the boys present on during the get together but expressed his confidence that they shall cooperate with the investigation. Bukhari said he had contacted the families and they promised to present their children whenever needed in the investigation.
Incident: Mahd Faisal was a student of class C1 of Atchison College Lahore and resident of house number 4 Jinnah Lane, Sarfaraz Raffiqui Road, Lahore Cantt. After the conclusion of an O-level exam, he went to a get together at the residence of his friend, Rayyan Mohiuddin Khan Toru. The get together was also attended by Ahmed Waleed Sherpao, Saad Hassan, Muhammad Haider Sultan Cheema, Shahmeer Amjad Sheikh and Muhammad Mobasil. Sources said the boys started playing with a gun present on the premises thinking that it was unloaded.
They began to take pictures with the gun when one of them pressed the trigger. Unexpectedly a gunshot was fired which hit Mahd on his head. Early reports suggested the trigger was pulled by Ahmed Waleed Sherpao. One of Mahd’s friends was said to have left the house in fear upon seeing Mahd shot, while two of the friends fainted. Two of the boys, including Waleed Sherpao, rushed Mahd to the Lahore General Hospital where doctors declared his condition critical.
Mahd succumbed to his injuries late on Thursday after remaining in coma for over two days. Sources have suggested the pictures in question have been made available to the Atchison Principal but Pakistan Today could not independently verify their availability.
Discussions with students suggest a number of tales regarding the incident have circulated in Aitchison College. One suggests the gunshot was fired when, during the photo session, one of the boys joked to another, “I will kill you,” to which he responded, “Sure, go ahead.” Not knowing that the gun was loaded, the boy pulled the trigger. The gunshot hit Mahd in the head which caused his demise.
