In a distressing incident in Sheikhupura on April 14, 2024, Nouman Masih, a 25-year-old cleaner at the Al Aziz Marriage Hall on Jandiala Road, was brutally tortured after being falsely accused of stealing a cell phone during a wedding ceremony. Despite being a loyal employee for over a decade, Masih faced accusations from wedding guests, which escalated into a severe assault.

The altercation began when a cell phone went missing, leading guests to immediately suspect Masih. Despite the hall owner’s defence of Masih’s character, the situation worsened when seven individuals forcibly took Masih from the venue.

Arshad Pervez, a local journalist, reported the incident and assisted the Masih family with medical care and legal proceedings. The assailants allegedly took Masih to a nearby farmhouse, where he was bound, beaten with water pipes, and detained for several hours. Severely injured, Masih was eventually abandoned outside the marriage hall.

Elisabeth Masih, Nouman’s mother, recounted the ordeal in her police complaint, stating that her son was treated with shocking brutality before being discarded near death. FIR No. 925/24 was registered under section 365B at the B Division Police Station, implicating individuals including Choudhry Afzal Dogar, under whose booking the wedding took place.

Nouman, who supports his family as the primary breadwinner and father of three daughters who are not attending school, is now hospitalized in serious condition. His brother, Abdul Bhatti, highlighted the family’s reliance on Nouman for their livelihood.

This violent episode has ignited a call for better worker protection and an end to vigilante justice within the community, urging local authorities to take decisive action to prevent such injustices.