SWAT: District Police Officer Swat Muhammad Umar Khan said that 10 people, including the madrasa nazim, have been arrested for the brutal murder of a young student and torture of children in an unregistered seminary in the Chaliyar area of Khwaza Khela.
The police have also recovered sticks and chains from the madrasa, while the Assistant Commissioner Khwaza Khela has officially sealed the madrasa. Raids were carried out to arrest two more centrally designated accused persons.
DPO Swat Muhammad Umar Khan, along with SP Investigation Swat Badshah Hazrat Khan, held a news conference at DPO Office Saidu Sharif and said that on July 21, the tortured body of 12-year-old Farhan son of Muhammad Ayaz, a resident of Piya Fatehpur, was brought to Khwaza Khela Hospital. The police took immediate action and registered a case against the madrasa Muhtamim Qari Muhammad Umar, his son Ehsanullah, madrasa Nazim Abdullah, and later Bakht Amin under the Child Protection Act on the complaint of the deceased’s uncle Sadar Ayaz. Out of the named accused, Abdullah and Bakht Amin have been arrested, while the other two named accused will be arrested soon.
DPO Swat said that a separate case has been registered against nine teachers and they have been arrested after evidence of physical violence was found on other children in the madrasa. The arrested accused include Omar Azda, resident of (Roriyacharbagh), Bakht Amin (Madin), Mohsin (Bedara Matta), Gohar Ali (Shangla), Abdul Rehman (Langar Khwaza Khela), Syed Rehman (Dub Khwaza Khela), Noor Muhammad (Alam Ganj), Abdul Rehman (Chalyar), and Sami Ur Rehman (Chenkolai).
He said that around 160 children studying in the madrasa have been handed over to their parents while the madrasa has been closed on the grounds of being illegal and unregistered. He announced that a list of unregistered madrasas is being compiled across the district and strict action will be taken against them.
The DPO Swat said that in Gulkada two accused, Muhammad Rehman and Abdul Salam, have been arrested under the Child Protection Act in connection with another incident of violence against a child in a madrasa.
The DPO made it clear that no one is above the law, cruelty and violence against children will not be tolerated under any circumstances, and the elements involved will be brought to justice according to the law of the country.
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