SARGODHA: A custodian of a shrine located in Sargodha tortured to death 20 disciples, four women among them, police said in the early hours of Sunday.
The custodian of Darbar Ali Muhammad Gujjar shrine in Chak-95 of Sargodha, Abdul Waheed, later confessed to killing 20 disciples.
The suspect used a dagger and sticks to kill his victims after giving them intoxicating substance, Sargodha Deputy Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatta said.
Five of the deceased belonged to the same family.
Chatta said Waheed and his accomplices first intoxicated the disciples then tortured them with machetes and batons, eventually killing them.
The DC added he believed Abdul Waheed suffers from a ‘critical mental disorder’.
Two women and as many men managed to escape, in an injured condition, from the shrine. One of them reported the horrendous crime to locals who then informed the police. The injured were admitted at district headquarters hospital. One of the women tried to say something but could not speak much.
DC Sargodha quoted Waheed as saying that he killed his disciples because, according to him, they poisoned his spiritual leader, Ali Muhammad, to death two years ago. Waheed told the police that had he not killed them, they would have poisoned him too.
One of the victims included the son of Waheed’s spiritual leader. “Asif Pir Ali was the son of Muhammad Gujjar [the spiritial leader],” said a family member of the deceased.
Asif was an employee of the Islamabad police. He was on leave, which is why he was in Sargodha.
Earlier the DC had quoted Waheed as claiming that his victims underwent ‘spiritual cleansing’ after he tortured them.
The custodian worked for the Election Commission in Sargodha – his office card was found in his possession, the official informed. According to the Election Commission of Pakistan, Waheed retired from service a year ago.
Another official told the media the deceased people’s bodies were found unclothed.
The victims hailed from different areas of Punjab.
The shrine was cordoned off for a search operation.
The bodies of 14 of the deceased have been handed over to the respective bereaved families after post-mortem.
Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif took immediate notice of the incident and formed an inquiry committee comprising regional police officers Sunday morning.
