Suspect in 14-year-old boy’s death killed in alleged police encounter in Bahawalpur

BAHAWALPUR – A man accused of running over and killing a 14-year-old boy in Multan was killed during an alleged encounter with the Crime Control Department (CCD) in Bahawalpur early Wednesday, according to police.

The suspect, identified as Tauqeer, had reportedly escaped from police custody while on physical remand, a CCD spokesperson said.

On Tuesday, a judicial magistrate in Multan had ordered that Tauqeer remain in police custody for three days to assist with the investigation. Police had initially sought a 14-day remand. The suspect was arrested on Monday and appeared before Judicial Magistrate Saadia Aslam the following day.

The case relates to the death of a teenage boy who allegedly worked for the suspect and was learning electrical work. He was reportedly struck by a car in a private housing society in Multan.

According to the CCD spokesperson, department personnel tried to stop two men travelling on a motorcycle along Bahawalpur’s Northern Bypass. An exchange of gunfire followed, resulting in Tauqeer’s death, the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Multan City Police Officer (CPO) Akhtar Farooq said on Tuesday that police teams were conducting raids to apprehend the second suspect allegedly involved in the case.

Expressing grief over the incident, Farooq said the community was deeply distressed by the boy’s death. He also described the treatment allegedly inflicted on the orphaned child as an act of extreme cruelty.

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the incident appears to show the boy running along a road after noticing a car. The vehicle swerves towards him and follows him before striking him. After being hit, the boy falls and crashes into the gate of a nearby house, suffering fatal injuries.

A police case was registered on behalf of the state at the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) police station in Multan.

The first information report (FIR) names two suspects and includes charges under Sections 302 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code, relating to intentional murder and acts carried out by multiple individuals with a shared intention, respectively.

According to the FIR, the teenager was employed by the suspects and was receiving training to become an electrician. His cousin told police that the boy had allegedly been subjected to violence and threats by the men.

The FIR further states that the teenager was attempting to flee when the suspects allegedly pursued him in a car and struck him. Police subsequently arrested one suspect, while the other managed to escape. The vehicle allegedly used in the incident was also taken into police custody, according to the report.