A teenage boy was shot dead in his house on Thursday by an elder relative who had been allegedly harassing the victim’s family for the past several months over a monetary dispute, family members and police said. The incident took place in Punjab’s Chakwal district.
A relative of the boy, Haroon, opened fire on the deceased due to a prevalent monetary dispute, killing him on the spot, Station House Officer Duman police station Faisal Mansoor told DawnNews. He said the boy’s mother and paternal uncle were also injured in the incident.
Arsalan, a cousin of the child, told Dawn.com that 13-year-old Haroon was having breakfast while wearing his uniform, ready to leave for school, when the relative barged into their house in Kolian village of Chakwal and opened fire on the boy.
A second relative said the suspect fired 5-6 rounds, two of which hit the deceased child. An accomplice of the suspect was waiting outside the house during the incident, he said.
The family of the child fears that the accused, who they claim is a British citizen in his 30s, might flee to the UK.
SHO Mansoor said the suspect managed to escape after the incident and that police was conducting raids to apprehend him. He mentioned that police had launched an inquiry into the case and were trying to ascertain reports that the accused is a British citizen.
Haroon’s relatives alleged that the accused had been harassing the victim’s family for the past several months, demanding the money that he had paid to the family several years ago to purchase some land.
However, the family maintains that it did not owe the relative any amount because the property’s funds had already been settled, one of the victim’s relatives said.
The family had previously also reached out to the police, informing them about the alleged harassment. Even though the suspect was taken into custody at the time, he was eventually let go. The deceased’s relatives said his family had “zero trust” in police as the accused is an “influential and wealthy” man who has means to bribe the local police.
A source in the police department told DawnNews that the suspect had been arrested during the last few months on complaints from the family, but was released “due to pressure from high-ups”.
Police have registered a first information report (FIR) of the incident against the accused under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 324 (attempted murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code. Police will also record the statements of those injured in the firing. The injured were shifted to District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) in Chakwal.
Source: Dawn
