WAYWARD BOYS AND RAPE
A SERIAL KILLER LOOSE IN LAHORE

Perhaps the most bizarre incident of Lahore

The Data Darbar Complex invites people from all walks of life. People turn up here with the hope that prayers to Data Darbar would result in fulfillment of their dreams. Dreams die hard. As free food is served here, twenty four hours a day, it also attracts all the wayward and vagabonds for overnight stays. Pickpockets abound here. Young boys running from their homes frequent here and under observation from pedophiles all the time. The boys are hungry, insecure and can be easily victimized by the seducers. This goes on all the time, even to this day, although once upon a time, the Government set up a Help Center outside it, to detect such cases. We think that the Center has not even touched one case of prevention, but still it is good that it is there.

Javed Iqbal Mughal was a man in his forties who saw it as a lucrative trade. He would pick up boys from there and used to take him to his dump situated on Ravi road, Lahore. Not only would he and his friends used to rape the boys, the services of the boys used to be provided to higher ups also. It is hinted that a lot of people availed the services of Javed Iqbal Mughal, and he made money out of them. Although the length of the period could have been longer, and could also have been carried out in other areas, but the Data Darbar incidents are related to the years 1998 and 1999.

Javed Iqbal Mughal went a step further. He started killing the boys once their idea of fun was over. They would cut the child to pieces and then dissolve his body in acid. The clothes used to be collected in a room and the soft tissues burnt in acid. Whatever residues were left, were taken in a sack, and thrown in the river Ravi afterwards. In a course of two years, Javed had raped and murdered more than 100 boys. This was verified by the set of different clothes and slippers found on the site, which the parents ransacked for clue to their lost children. On 30th December, 1999, Javed was caught in this trap and taken to prison. Headlines were made.

Javed Iqbal Mughal was caught and sentenced to the same kind of death on 16th March, 2000. But before this sentence could be carried out, he was found hanging in his cell. Reputation was that he was about to take important names, and those influential people had him sentenced before that with quick justice, to keep his mouth shut. The man had started talking to journalists.

Whatever the case, it is the most horrible and bizarre incidents in the history of Lahore. It could make into a chilling horror TV serial or a movie anytime. But the question remains WHY? Even international psychologists came here to interview him and made the statement that there was nothing wrong with this man, he was as normal as any other. A chilling reminder that the psyche of man can go wrong any time. Allah saves the world from such psychos!