Two men were arrested on Thursday for allegedly stealing bones from a graveyard in Naag Shah.
Zahoor Hussain, a worker at the graveyard, told police that he saw the suspects, Nasir and Zakir, collecting bones from the graveyard. He said he called residents of the area who caught and took the men to the house of a landlord.
Police said the suspects were brothers. Nasir visited several graveyards and kept count of the graves whereas his brother, Zakir, collected the bones. A a third member of the gang, Muhammad Riaz, sold these to people who practiced black magic.
The suspects told the police that the bones of children less than five years of age and those around reproductive organs were the most expensive.
The suspects said in magical rites the bones were eaten, grinded or burnt.
Shah Shams police Investigation Officer ASI Muhammad Yaqub said senior police officials had decided to arrest all black magic practitioners in south Punjab. Meanwhile, residents of Naag Shah protested the desecration of graves and demanded exemplary punishments for the criminals.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 23rd, 2013.