Child brutally beaten on pumpkin theft charge

An eight-year-old boy was severely tortured on suspicion of stealing a pumpkin at Halderkhali village of Rajapur upazila under the district on Sunday.

The victim, Md Sagir, 8, son of Abdus Sobahan of Halderkhali village, is a Class III student.

“Our neighbour Habib was collecting pumpkins from his garden on Sunday when I was going to school beside the garden. Habib and his two companions caught me in the evening that day as I was returning home from a playground,” said Sagir, now undergoing treatment at Rajapur Health Complex.

“They started beating me and asked me about the pumpkin. As I said I did not know about the pumpkin, they took me on a bridge and tried to throw me into the canal.

“I strongly held a pillar of the bridge and cried for help. Then some people came to rescue me,” said Sagir.

Sagir is out of danger although his hands are badly affected, said Md Abul Khayer Rasel, resident medical officer of the health complex.

A sister-in-law of Habib said, “Sagir earlier stole some goods from our house and he stole pumpkin on Sunday. But he was not tortured much. He was only slapped a little.

The allegation of torture on the boy is under investigation and a case will be filed after completing the probe, said Sheikh Munirul Giash, officer in charge of Rajapur Police Station.