A Multan court on Tuesday granted police three-day physical remand of a suspect in the Multan teen worker case, in which a 15-year-old boy was allegedly chased down and run over by his employer.
Judicial Magistrate Saadia Aslam passed the order after police produced the suspect, who had been arrested a day earlier. Police had requested 14-day physical remand for investigation, but the magistrate granted three days.
Multan teen worker case: what the FIR says
The incident took place in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) area of Multan. According to the first information report, the teenage boy worked for the suspects and was receiving training as an electrician.
The boy’s cousin told police that the 15-year-old had faced violence and threats from the suspects. The FIR states that the boy was fleeing when the suspects pursued him in a car and hit him.
CCTV footage of the incident shows the boy spotting the car and trying to run. The car is seen chasing him down and hitting him. The boy fell and was rammed into the door of a nearby house, dying on impact.
A case has been registered on the state’s behalf at Multan’s DHA police station. The FIR names two suspects and invokes Section 302, which covers intentional murder, and Section 34, which covers acts done by several persons in furtherance of a common intention, of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Police arrested one of the suspects while the other escaped. Their vehicle has been taken into custody.
Police hunt second suspect
Multan City Police Officer Akhtar Farooq told the media that raids were being conducted to arrest the second suspect. “We all are in deep pain,” the CPO said, adding that the orphan boy had been “subjected to barbarity”.
The registration of the case on the state’s behalf means the prosecution does not depend on the victim’s family to pursue it. That step is often taken in cases involving vulnerable victims.
What Sections 302 and 34 mean
Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code deals with qatl-i-amd, or intentional murder, and carries the death penalty or life imprisonment on conviction. Section 34 applies when a criminal act is done by several persons in furtherance of a common intention, making each person liable as if the act were done by them alone.
The invocation of both sections shows that police are treating the incident as a deliberate killing involving more than one accused person. The investigation over the remand period will focus on the CCTV evidence, the vehicle, and the statements of witnesses.
Cases of violence against young workers have drawn public anger before. An anti-terrorism court reserved its verdict in the Sidra murder case earlier this month, while a couple were shot dead in Larkana in a separate incident. Courts have also been tightening procedures, with the Lahore High Court banning filming inside courtrooms this month.
What did the Multan court decide?
Judicial Magistrate Saadia Aslam granted three-day physical remand of the suspect. Police had asked for 14 days.
What does the CCTV footage show?
A car chasing the 15-year-old boy, hitting him and ramming him into a house door. The boy died on impact.
Who is the victim?
A 15-year-old orphan who worked for the suspects and was training as an electrician, according to the FIR.
Has the second suspect been caught?
No. Police say raids are under way to arrest the second named suspect, and the vehicle used in the incident is in custody.
