Screengrabs from the video show Hafiz Usman physically abusing a 12-year-old disabled child in Lahore, Pakistan, October 13, 2017. Photo: Geo.tv/Mian Muhammad Abid

 

LAHORE: Two school bus conductors who tortured children with disabilities settled the matter with the victims on Sunday. 

As the accused appeared before Special Judicial Magistrate Naveed Awan in the Model Town Courts, both parties informed the judge that they have reached an understanding. 

However, the judge sent the suspects on a judicial remand and adjourned the hearing until tomorrow.

Hafiz Usman and Akram were arrested on Friday after the Ghalib Market police registered an FIR against them following the surfacing of their torture video. They have been booked under sections on child protection and threatening.

Caught on camera

In the video, shot from inside the bus and obtained from social media, the accused can be seen physically abusing a 12-year-old child and threatening another older child with a beating when he resisted leaving his seat on the school bus.

Both the victims, as well as their colleagues, are students at Gung Mahal School for the Deaf & Dumb ? a government institute in Gulberg.

The child, 12, is forced to dangle from the bus' passenger support bar reportedly for some insignificant mischief, causing him to scream in fear, while Usman stands beside, laughing at the victim's agony.

As the cries for help continue, Usman can be observed inserting his finger into the child's mouth to make him gag and stop making a racket.

In another shot, Usman suspends the child upside down and chortles at his terrorised face.

Towards the end of the clip, Akram comes into the frame and can be seen threatening another child ? who had resisted leaving his seat in the bus and via hand gestures, promised to tell his parents about the incident ? by saying he would beat him up if the child complained.

In trying to intimidate the obviously distressed child, Akram slaps him across the face.

The incident of torture came to the school principal's attention, whereafter both bus conductors were suspended from duty.

Earlier, police had said they would make sure the perpetrators of such inhumane activities are punished in accordance with the law.