Isn’t it weird when people decline to pay for services rendered and instead threaten you just so they can get away with not paying you? This does sound unreasonable and very unprofessional, right? But all this and more actually happened with an electrician in Lahore who was attacked by a client’s ‘pet’ lion when he dared to ask for his wages.
In a bizarre incident, a caretaker of a religious shrine in Pakistan’s Lahore unleashed his lion on electrician Mohammad Rafique just because he asked him to pay his wages after finishing the task he was hired for. According to NDTV, the caretaker Ali Raza employed Rafique at the congregation hall. After finishing his work when Rafique demanded his salary as promised, Ali Raza told him to come back later. But since Rafique repeatedly pleaded with Raza to pay him his dues, Raza angrily unleashed his lion on him.
Rafique’s cry for help alerted the passers-by who then rescued him from the lion. The investigating officer said:
“The caretaker kept delaying the payment. But when Mohammad Rafique persisted, Ali Raza got annoyed and unleashed his pet lion on him. The lion wounded his face and arm.”
Even though Rafique was badly injured in the encounter, he didn’t file a police complaint at first, as Raza promised to pay for treatment of injuries sustained in addition to substantial compensation.
But when Raza later denied him compensation and declined to pay him any money for seeking medical assistance, Rafique lodged the complaint. Reportedly, a case under section 324 of the Pakistan Penal Code ( attempt to murder) has been registered against the caretaker, Raza.
It’s just shameful to see people (especially those who associate themselves with sacred places) commit such heinous crimes. By the why was he even allowed to domesticate a lion in the first place?