Lahore: 12-year-old madrassa student dies after alleged assault by teacher

LAHORE: A 12-year-old madrassa student has died after allegedly being subjected to severe physical abuse by his Quran teacher in Lahore’s Burki area, with the child’s family accusing the teacher of fatally assaulting him for missing a Khatm-i-Sharif gathering.

The victim, Ali Haider, a resident of Bahawalnagar, had been studying at the madrassa in Lahore.

According to the family, the teacher, identified as Qari Ghulam Rasool, allegedly beat the boy so severely that he sustained multiple fractures to his arms and legs. The family said Ali remained hospitalised for eight days, battling for his life, before succumbing to his injuries.

They further alleged that after the assault, the teacher placed the critically injured child on a bus and informed his father to collect him.

The boy’s father has submitted an application to Burki police seeking the registration of a case against the teacher. “My son was killed without any fault of his. I have suffered a great injustice and want justice,” the father said, urging Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to take notice of the incident.

Police shifted the body to a morgue for a post-mortem examination and said legal proceedings had been initiated. The family claimed the suspect had not yet been taken into custody.

According to Lahore Cantonment SP, police launched an immediate investigation after receiving information about the alleged assault of a minor madrassa student, although the incident was reported several days after it occurred.

The officer said the child’s family did not initially inform police and instead took the injured Haider, to their hometown of Bahawalnagar for treatment, where they continued to seek medical care on their own. Despite treatment, the boy succumbed to his injuries, after which the family contacted the police through the 15 helpline.

Upon receiving the report, Lahore police travelled to Bahawalnagar and halted the burial process to fulfil legal requirements before shifting the body to a hospital for a post-mortem examination. The SP said further legal action was being taken in light of the post-mortem findings and other evidence.

A case has been registered against the suspect, Qari Ghulam Rasool, on the complaint of the victim’s uncle, while police are conducting raids at multiple locations to arrest him. The officer said an investigation into all aspects of the case was underway and vowed that the suspect would be arrested and brought to justice in accordance with the law.