LAHORE: In a ghastly act, unknown persons on Friday stole the dead body of a newborn after digging a grave, a day after the baby was buried in a Baghbanpura graveyard here on Friday.

The incident left the bereaved parents shocked as they were already mourning the death of their baby.

Nasir, father of the deceased child, told the media persons that the baby boy, born on the second day of Eid, died in the ICU of a hospital some eight hours after he was put on ventilator due to some health issues.

He was laid to rest the next day in a local graveyard.

Nasir says that he and his wife remained busy in attending the relatives and others who were visiting them to condole the newborn`s death.

However, when he visited the grave of his son, he found it dug up, with the body of the newborn missing.

Nasir says that he has reported the matter to the police with a request for arrest of those involved in the inhuman act.

A police official says that investigation into the incident has been launched.

He said the management of the graveyard expressed its ignorance about the incident.