Family stopped from offering funeral prayers, burying child in Gujrat

According to the police, the incident took place following the death of the minor child when the family arranged funeral prayers and prepared for the

GUJRAT: A case has been registered after a group of people allegedly stopped a bereaved family from offering funeral prayers for a minor child and later attempted to prevent the burial in a graveyard in the limits of Saddar police station.

According to the police, the incident took place following the death of the minor child when the family arranged funeral prayers and prepared for the burial. However, a number of individuals allegedly intervened and tried to stop the religious rites, causing distress to the grieving family.

Police said the accused also allegedly issued threats to members of the family and created hurdles in the way of the funeral arrangements. The family later faced further difficulty when they attempted to bury the deceased child in a local graveyard, where the accused allegedly tried to prevent the burial.

The incident prompted the affected family to approach the police and seek legal action against those allegedly involved in stopping the funeral prayers and obstructing the burial.

Acting on the application, Saddar police registered a case and launched an investigation.

A spokesperson for Gujrat police said the case had been registered under sections 297, 506, 341, 147 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Section 297 deals with trespassing on burial places and places of worship, while other sections invoked in the case relate to criminal intimidation, wrongful restraint, rioting and unlawful assembly.

Police said the allegations would be investigated on merit and action would be taken against those found responsible in accordance with the law.

“The police have taken notice of the matter and legal proceedings are under way,” the Gujrat police spokesperson said, adding that raids were being conducted to arrest the nominated and other suspects involved in the incident.

The case has drawn attention because of the nature of the allegations, involving a dispute that allegedly extended to funeral prayers and the burial of a minor child.

Police officials said such matters required careful investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine the role of each person named in the case.

The grieving family has sought protection and action against those they accuse of threatening them and interfering with the last rites of the child.

Police said further developments in the case would depend on the progress of the investigation and the arrests of the suspects.

No arrests had been officially confirmed by the police spokesperson at the time of filing this report.

The investigation is continuing, while police teams are conducting raids at different locations for the arrest of the suspects.