Killed people because they had planned to poison me: Sargodha murder accused

SARGODHA: Abdul Waheed, the shrine custodian who confessed to murdering 20 disciples, said he did so because he suspected they would poison him.

Speaking exclusively to Geo News on Sunday, the murder accused said he had found his spiritual leader's son Asif adding poison to his food.

"I caught him and probed further, upon which I got to know a woman was also involved with him in the plan [of killing me]," he said.

Waheed added he suspected it to be a scheme against him. Therefore, he phoned the others to summon them to the shrine and tortured them all to death.

Waheed is a resident of Green Town, Lahore. His behaviour with people in his area was never odd, his neighbours said.

While talking to Geo News, one of the neighbours said there was an issue of custodianship of the shrine between Waheed and others. But no peculiar activity was noticed by them.  

"They have always been a kind family, giving out donation," said another neighbour. "Waheed had shifted in the area three years back."

Waheed had left for Sargodha, with his family, three days ago.

While talking to the media, Punjab Auqaf and Religious Affairs Minister Zaeem Qadri said the shrine was not even registered with his department in the first place.

"However, I will not steer clear of the responsibility," he said. "A crackdown will be launched in the province against fake spiritual leaders."

Waheed was arrested after he tortured 20 of his disciples to death Saturday night at the shrine he was the custodian of. 

'Investigating all aspects of the case'

Punjab Minister for Religious Affairs Zaeem Qadri said intelligence agencies along with police and the local government were investigating all aspects of the case.

Qadri said his department managed some 552 shrines in the province, but this one was not registered with it.

"Investigators will also look into how this shrine was allowed to be set up on private land," he said.