Bado Malhi Case
 

Investigation team:       Joseph Francis
                                       Pervez Aslam Chaudhry (Advocate)
                                       Ashar Sarfaraz

CLAAS team left for Bado Malhi Chak No 113/AB P.S. Sangla Hill at about 7:00 A.M. and reached P.S. Sangla Hill at about 10:00 A.M. Team met with Ch. Nazir Ahmed SHO Police Station and inquired about occurrence of village.

Back Ground

The priest Sadhu Rehmat told that there was a mission school, some years ago in the village, which was illegally occupied by the local Zamindar, namely, Abdullah, Mohammed Nazir, Mohammed Sadiq, Latif. He told that he protested against their illegal action and tried to vacate the school from these persons but he failed. Later on, civil suit was filed against these persons in the court of Abdul Raziq civil judge sheikhupura which is pending in the court. During stay order they built up

Ch. Nazir Ahmed Inspector SHO Sangla Hill told the team that Zahid Hussain a young man of the same village cut off the electric connection of the church with his axe and abused the priest and others. Priest of the said church came to Police Station and lodged F.I.R. against the accused vide F.I.R. No. 258/99 U/S 452/354, 296/148, 149 PPC. F.I.R. was got registered against twelve Muslim Persons (accused). SHO further told that Ex-councilor Bashir Tatla forbade Zahid Hussain and others to do so, but in vain. He told that Bible was not burnt by the accused but according to the Priest Holy Cloth of Alter was burnt by the accused. He told that Peter John Sohotra M.N.A of the Minority asked the priest to make a compromise with the accused, for not to spread rational riots. He further told that Priest is ready to make compromise with the accused party. He told that five persons have been arrested from twelve. When asked whether there were people offering prayer at the time of incident he said no, people were not offering prayers in the church when Zahid and others cut off the electricity supply. Later on, team moved into the office of A.S.P. Sangla Hill.

A.S.P. Sangla Hill

The team was told that five person have been arrested after lodging F.I.R. and no occurrence took place of burning Bible in the village. M. Joseph Francis asked A.S.P. whether people were offering prayer when the incident took place. He said that yes some people were offering prayer in the church when Zahid and others cut off the electricity supply and attacked church.

This showed that there is a contradiction between the statement of SHO and ASP. When CLAAS team said that accused are treated as VIP's in police station and are not kept in the lock-up, but they are enjoying their time freely outside, on this ASP kept silence.
 
 

Statement of the Priest

Name: Sadhu Rehmat Masih

S/O: Gandha Mall

Age: 55 years

Occupation: Priest of the UP Church

R/O: Chak No. 113 Bado Malhi, District Sheikhupura.

The priest told that they were living in this village since their forefathers. There are about 55 families and 150-200 Christian people are residing in the village. All the families are poor and laborer. Church was build up by UP Mission in their village and he is priest here since from 1970. He told he always respected Muslims inhabitants of village and also respects the time of their prayers (Azan). He told it was 3-9-99 on Friday at about 7:30 P.M. when we were praying in the church, about 30 young boys trespassed the church boundary and cut off the electric supply of the church and then they chanted slogans against Christian and attacked the church. When the people came out from the church the attackers were abusing Christians and chanting slogans against them. When the church was attacked so many women, men and children were present inside the church for the prayer. Attackers were holding firearms, lathis (sticks) and axes in their hands. People got frightened and rushed out from church; men ran away, women and children took shelter in the house of the priest. The attackers chased people and entered in the house of the priest and started beating ladies and children. They beat women with their lathi's and kicked them on their private parts clothes of the women were torn by them. Later on, they left the house saying, "We shall not leave all of you and shall murder you all".

The priest further told that all the attackers entered in the church and they burnt the Bible and Alter' cloth and tried to demolish the church building. He told that they also cut off his telephone connection.
 
 

Shamauon Patras

S/O: Sadhu Rehmat Masih

Age: 16 years

Shamauon Patras went to fields to bring grass for their cattle on his donkey cartridge with his brother Samuel aged 12 years. Zahid (accused) snatched his cartridge, abused and beat them severely and said, "We should murder your family".
 
 

Rehana

W/O: Boota Masih

Age: 35 years

Rehana is one of them who were present in the church when this incident took place. She told that, "We were praying when suddenly electricity of the church was switched off. Some people were raising slogans and abusing us. One of them was saying kill them all; we ran inside the priest house and locked the door. They entered the house and started beating us and tore our clothes, my shirt almost tore and I became naked.
 
 

Hanna

D/O: Sadhu Rehmat Masih

Age: 14 years

She told that, "We were praying in the church when the light of the church was cut off by some people. They also entered in the church premises and started beating to people. We ran inside the house of the priest they chased and caught us in the house. They beat us and tore my clothes.
 
 

Sosan

W/O: Sadhu Rehmat Masih

Age: 50 years

She told that, "Many people entered in the churchyard and cut off the electricity supply of the church and started beating us. They tore my clothes, they burnt the Holy Bible and Alter. There is still swelling on my face".
 
 

Mukhtaran Bibi

W/O: Karim Masih

Age: 45 years

"We were offering prayer", she told the team, "when some people entered in the churchyard and started beating the people, they beat me and tore my clothes".

Among these Musarat w/o Morrus Masih, age: 46 years, Nasreen d/o Baag Masih, age 16 years, Musarat Parveen d/o Rehmat, age 20 years, Sarafeen w/o Malik Masih, age 25 years, Khalida Bibi d/o Boota Masih, age 16 years, Nazia d/o Morrus Masih, age 16 years were also present during this incident and were beaten and tortured by the attackers.
 
 

Statement of Other Party

Bashir Ahmed

S/o: Mohammed Khan

Age: 52

Bashir Ahmed told the team that on Friday 3-9-99 at about 8:00 P.M. the priest played his tape recorder before the loud speaker, some young men forbade that Moulvi is performing "Azan" so you should switch off your loud speaker. But he refused to do so. Zahid cut off the church electricity supply line, we all forbade him and condemned his mischief. After this he went away. The Christian people abused him. He told that the Bible is as sacred to us as for the Christians, but Muslim boys did not burn the Bible or the church. We swear upon God that such occurrence did not take place in this village. He further told that we want peace in our village and we want to lead life like brothers.
 
 

Liaqat Ali Dogar

S/O: Mohammed Dogar

Age: 35

Liaqat Ali is a Muslim inhabitant of this village. He told that, "I live next to the church and when these people cut off the electricity supply and attacked the church I was present at my "Daira". Zahid and others entered in the church beat the people and burnt the Bible, they even tried to murder them. These people want to take revenge from the priest because he protested against the illegal possession on mission school and was also pursuing the civil suit against them".
 
 

Arif Hussain

S/O: Mohammed Sadiq

He told that, "I know the priest from childhood. He is very sympathetic, noble and pious. His behavior with people is very good either Muslim or Christian. The Muslim men burnt the church and Bible, beat the ladies, men and children severely. I tried to forbade them to do so but they were very aggressive and angry". He further told that local MNA and MPA are supporting their Muslim rioters, therefore, police is not arresting them.
 
 

Khalid

S/O: Lal Khan

Age: 32

He told that such occurrence did not take place in this village. Muslim boys did not burn the Bible or the church, only Zahid Hussain cut off the church electricity supply off.
 
 

Khalid Hussain

Kahlid Hussain told that the priest has burnt the Bible himself and is just blaming Muslims. Muslim boys did not do such thing in the church premises, only Zahid Hussain cut off the electricity supply of the church.

Abdul Rehman s/o Hussain Buksh, age 32 years, Mohammed Malik s/o Meer Din, age 65 years, Haider Ahmed s/o Meer Din, age 60 years, these all gave the same statement as mentioned above.
 
 

Police Report

Sadhu Rehmat told CLAAS team that, "I called the police and the police came and the SHO did not bother to see the occurrence. He took me to the police station with him and asked me to tell him the details. I told him the whole story, I even told him that Zahid and others burned the Bible and Alter. The attackers severely beat the ladies and they tore their clothes. SHO said", Sadhu said, "that you should not talk about burning of the Bible. Now you go to your house and I shall register FIR against culprits". Sadhu said that, "I told SHO that he should make precautionary measures to save their lives because they are in danger but he did not care about this. Accuseds that were arrested for formalities they were treated as VIP's in police station. Later on, he knew that SHO did not properly registered FIR against accused according to the law.
 

Conclusion

The team heard the statement from both sides and saw the occurrence at the spot. The Bible and Alter were burnt and pages of the burnt Bible were scattered around the Alter. Even cloth of the Alter was also burnt. The Christians, especially ladies said they were beaten and dishonored by the Muslims. But the Muslims are denying all the facts and instead blaming the priest for this incident.

Later on, in the presence of CLAAS team and MPA Johnson Michael, ASP, SHO and other police officers were forced to register FIR properly. Then SHO took burnt Bible and Alter cloth is his custody made the list of the things (Fard Maqbozgi) and took signatures of witnesses. He further promised that he will record the supplementary statement of priest and now would register the FIR properly accordance with law.
 
 

________________________
M. Joseph Francis
Coordinator CLAAS