KASUR: A Christian youth who succumbed to his injuries he allegedly suffered because of brutal torture by eight suspects a couple of days back was buried at Bagiana Khurd village graveyardinthelimitsofAllahabad police station on Saturday.

The victim, Saleem Masih (22) of Bagiana Khurd village who was allegedly tortured by a local landlord and his accomplices on Tuesday (Feb 25), had succumbed to his injuries at the Lahore General Hospital on Friday.

Police were yet to arrest any of the suspects.

Provisional Minister for Human Rights and Minority AffairsIjazAlamAugustine on Saturday visited the bereaved family and assured it of justice. He also urged the district administration and police to bring the killers to the book.

According to complainant Ghafoor Masih, father of Saleem, his son, a labourer went to fields belonging to Abdul Razzaq on Feb 22, near Adda Bagiana Khurd.

He alleged that four sons of Razag -Iqbal, Altaf, Jabbar, Haji Muhammad --along with Sher Dogar and three others tortured Saleem over a petty issue.

Later, as stated in the FIR lodged under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, including 337-A 1,337 F-1,147 and 149, the suspects took Saleem Masih to the fields of Sher Dogar where they allegedly tied him with chains and tortured him severely.

The complainant and other locals on knowing about the incident rushed to the spot and rescued Saleem who was badly injured.

The FIR, however, mentions no motive for the torture.

The victim was rushed to a local hospital where doctors referred him to the Lahore General Hospital because of his critical condition. He later succumbed to his injuries on Friday.

Following his death, police added Section 302 to the FIR lodged on Feb 25 and handed over the body of the victim to his f amily af ter completing legal formalities.

A handout issued by the districtinformationoffice on Saturday quoted the minister as saying the victim was tortured to death for taking a bath at the tubewell pond in the fields of Razzaq as Saleem was a Christian. Correspondent