A six-year-old boy who went missing two days ago has been found dead in the Old City area, police confirmed on Wednesday. The victim, identified as Muhammad Wali, son of Abid Ali, had disappeared from outside his home on Monday. After frantic but unsuccessful efforts by family members and residents to locate him, a kidnapping case was registered at Napier police station.
Body Found Stuffed in Sack
Police said the child's body was recovered stuffed in a sack near Old Haji Camp in the Lea Market area on Tuesday night. According to officials, the victim's family grew suspicious of a neighbour, identified as Hamza, and detained him before handing him over to police. DIG District South Asad Raza confirmed the arrest, adding that the suspect has confessed to the crime.
Family Alleges Mutilation and Obstruction
Family members alleged that the child was murdered inside the suspect's residence. They claimed the body had been mutilated, stuffed into a sack, and thrown from a three-storey building. The family further accused the suspect of obstructing their search efforts. "He refused to let us check his house when we were searching for the child," a relative said, adding that the suspect had also pretended to assist in the search to deflect suspicion.
Mother Demands Justice
The victim's mother demanded strict punishment for the accused. "We want justice. The killer should be punished the same way he treated my son," she said. Muhammad Wali was the only brother among five sisters. His father, a rickshaw driver, said the family had no known enmity with anyone.
Suspect Confesses to Sexual Assault and Murder
Investigators said the suspect told police he held a personal grudge against the child's father. They further revealed that the suspect confessed to sexually assaulting the child before killing him.
Separate Incident: Six-Year-Old Dies After Falling into Well
In a separate tragic incident, six-year-old Khalid died after falling into an old 200-foot-deep well near Ghass Mandi in Old City area on Wednesday, despite rescue teams managing to pull him out alive and rush him to hospital. According to Rescue 1122 officials, the incident occurred when the child accidentally fell into an old dry well while playing. Rescue 1122's water rescue team launched an operation to locate the child. Officials said rescuers faced considerable difficulty due to the depth and condition of the well but eventually retrieved the child in critical condition. He was immediately shifted to Civil Hospital for medical treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries. The child's body was later handed over to his family by police after completion of legal formalities.
Well Not Under KWSC Jurisdiction
DC South said the well was an old structure and the site previously housed a washerman's shop where water used to be collected. Meanwhile, the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) clarified that the incident had no connection with its sewerage system. A KWSC spokesperson said the corporation's sewerage network and manhole system were located at a distance from the incident site and that the well did not fall under the corporation's infrastructure or operational jurisdiction.
