The police in Rawalpindi arrested a man trapped by digging a girl’s tomb in a local cemetery, supposedly to perform a black magic ritual, authorities said Thursday.
The suspect, identified as Yaseen Bukhari, found articles commonly associated with hidden practices, including a clay effigy that resembles a human torso, seven amulets and seven iron nails wrapped in wire, the police said.
Bukhari, a resident of the Adhowal village, said the police were following the instructions of a spiritual healer who said that the unearthed of buried articles would cure his evil wife.
“The suspect was caught with his hands in the dough with ritual elements as he desecrated the grave,” said Subinspector Aslam Parvez, who presented the complaint. “His initial statement suggests that he was acting for despair after not finding a medical solution for his wife’s disease.”
The police was alerted by the father of the deceased girl, who noticed that someone manipulated the tomb shortly after the burial.
The officers arrived at the scene and found Bukhari digging near the site with a small shovel. A plastic bag containing the effigy, amulets and nails recovered from its possession.
The authorities said the suspect had been accused under section 297 of the Pakistan Criminal Code, which penalizes interference with burial sites.
Later, the court granted the bond, since the crime is rescue.
