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Last month of 2024 was not usual for Factory Area Police Station in Sheikhupura as they came across a case where both the victim and the killer remained unidentified.

Some of the villagers found a lifeless body while walking through the market in the morning, according to a first information report on December 12, BBC Urdu reported. They sought help from the local villagers to identify the body, however, despite searching for identifying features and making announcements at the mosque, no one could recognise the victim.

Unable to identify the person, the villagers contacted the police, who, led by ASI Ejaz Hussain, arrived at the scene, took photographs, and questioned witnesses. The body was sent for post-mortem at the Sheikhupura Civil Hospital.

The investigation continued without any leads for 11 days, and the victim was eventually buried by the villagers. The case took a shocking turn when a clue emerged, leading the police to identify the victim and arrest the alleged perpetrators. Police traced the suspects back to the same household as the victim. One of the main suspects was revealed to be the victim’s brother.

On February 18, after an extensive investigation, three suspects were presented in court. The defence attorney, Raja Ashfaq Khurail, argued that two of the suspects were “innocent and had been falsely implicated.” The court, however, ordered the suspects to be sent to judicial remand at the Sheikhupura District Jail.

The investigation took a “significant turn when the main suspect confessed to his involvement in the crime, and his statement was recorded.” The police then submitted the initial charge sheet to the court.

While the defence lawyer continued to maintain the innocence of his clients, it was revealed that the primary suspect had been involved in a property dispute with the victim.

The true identity of the victim, Master Barkat, was uncovered on December 23, 2024, when a mutilated head was discovered near a drain outside the village. The shocking find, accompanied by reports of animals gnawing on the head, left the community horrified. The villagers quickly identified the head as belonging to Master Barkat, a well-known figure in the area who worked as a cashier and tutor.

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Barkat, who had two failed marriages and no children, had been relatively financially stable compared to his siblings. It was revealed that his brothers, who had sold their inherited land, likely killed Barkat to inherit his property.

Further investigation “uncovered key evidence, including the murder weapon— a axe, a saw, and rope.” Forensic analysis confirmed that such tools were used in the brutal killing. Moreover, the suspects’ mobile phone geolocations were found to be in the same location at the time of the murder.

The police claimed the victim’s body was stored in a bathroom before the head was severed with a saw. The body was left outside a shop, and the severed head was discarded in a drain. The police claimed the murder was driven by greed for the victim’s property.