Pakistan Today reported that 22-year-old Saleem Masih was taken to General Hospital from Chunian on Thursday. The report quotes the deceased's father Ghafoor Masih as saying that Saleem was yanked out of the water and tortured by a group of men when he had finished unloading chaff in fields in Baguyana village and was rinsing himself off in the tube-well.
According to his father, they called Saleem a 'filthy Christian' while cursing him for ‘polluting’ the water. He further said that the attackers took Saleem to their cattle farm, where they continued beating him with rods after chaining his hands and feet. “They also rolled a thick iron rod over Saleem’s entire body, which led to fractures and internal injuries.”
Ghafoor added that the police officials told the family about Saleem's condition four hours after the incident. He says that the assailants justified their action by saying that Saleem had 'polluted' their tube well and deserved to be taught a lesson.
"Police acted as silent spectator as we pleaded the men to let us take our son to the hospital", he said.
Further, Ghafoor has accused the Ila Abad Police of protecting the accused.