A young man lost his life after being electrocuted by an iron donation box placed outside a mosque in Pattoki. Reports indicate that the mosque administration had electrified the charity box to prevent theft.
The tragic incident occurred on Wednesday when Tanveer Akhtar Jan allegedly attempted to withdraw money from the donation box and suffered a fatal electric shock.
Following the incident, local police registered a case against six members of the mosque committee under Section 322 (Qatl-bis-Sabab – causing death without intention). The accused include Muhammad Aslam, Haji Sabir, Muhammad Ashraf, Muhammad Asghar, Muzammil Hussain, and Muhammad Yasir.
Electrified Boxes to Prevent Theft
A mosque representative explained to the media that frequent theft by drug addicts prompted the administration to electrify the donation boxes at night as a deterrent. However, this measure resulted in a fatality, raising concerns about such security practices.
Despite Tanveer’s family requesting the police not to pursue legal action or conduct a postmortem, authorities still registered a case based on their complaint.
Police Investigation Underway
According to SHO Sadar Pattoki Mian Amin, authorities received a call about a body lying at the mosque gate near a graveyard in Chak No 13, Jod Singh Wala village. A police team arrived at the scene and took the body into custody.
Officials suspect that Tanveer was electrocuted while attempting to take money from the mosque’s iron charity box. Investigations further revealed that several other mosques and madrasas in the village have also been using live electric current in metal donation bins at night.
Police are now looking into the practice of electrifying donation boxes and whether further action should be taken against other mosque administrations employing similar measures.
