LAHORE, Oct 4: Although the capital city police have so far failed to make any arrests in the infamous ‘head-hitters’ case that has stalked the provincial metropolis over the past two years, SSP investigation Zulfiqar Hameed says that a good news in this connection is coming soon.

But, according to Nadeem Anthony, a council member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), police are not giving the case due priority owing to victims’ low status in society.

It is yet unknown whether the ‘head-hitters’ is a single group or a set of gangs. They target labourers and watchmen, often attacking them while they are asleep in open in downtown.

According to rough estimates, 19 people have died and over 30 injured at the hands of the ‘head-hitters’ since Dec 2007 – while the incidents have taken place geographically in neighbouring areas of Green Town, Township, Johar Town, Factory Area, Liaqatabad, Hunjerwal, and Sattukatla localities.

The latest incident occurred just over two weeks ago (Sept 14) when Hanif, a watchman in Johar Town, was seriously injured by unknown assailants with a blunt object, possibly a brick. He was later moved to Jinnah Hospital for recovery, according to son Ghulam Mustafa.

No progress has been made on that case, like the others, according the duty officer of Johar Town police station.

However, talking to Dawn, SSP Hameed said: “We have made progress and we have some leads. We suspect there are two to five people at work, and we’ve deployed investigations teams to net them.” “We’ll have good news for you soon,” he hastened to add.

The police have also instituted an awareness campaign and have asked the labourers and watchmen of suburban localities not to sleep in the open.

Expressing skepticism, however, Mr Anthony said: “It’s obvious that if the victims had means and power, the police would have been forced to take action by now.”

He said the “law should be the law, whether for rich or for the poor” and that only by capturing at least some of those responsible would send out a signal to others to stop.

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Maqbool Babri, a clinical psychotherapist with over 30-year experience, suggested that those behind the killings were motivated by “thrill”.

“They thrive off their success and publicity – the media was giving them of a lot of prominence – a prominence they failed to achieve in their everyday lives in which they have otherwise been invisible.”

He said it was likely that perpetrators, in keeping with the typical profile of serial killers, may themselves have been the victims of some form of violence earlier in their lives. Alternatively, “maybe they’ve had some quarrel with the police in the past – maybe they’ve been the victims of molestation.”

Babri further added that it was likely that the assailants came from the same socio-economic background as their victims were.