A Man in Pakistan Unleashed His Pet Lion on a Handyman Who'd Asked to be Paid

The caretaker of a religious building in Lahore, Pakistan is facing charges of attempted murder after he set his pet lion on a handyman who was asking to be paid.

Ali Raza hired electrician Mohammad Rafique for a job at the Sada-e-Imam Hussain congregation hall in the Shahdara district, The Independent reports. Upon completing said job, Mohammad asked Ali for payment, and was told to come back another day. Which he did—multiple times, it seems, before finally putting his foot down and demanding remuneration. This apparently irritated Ali, who subsequently unleashed his pet lion on Mohammad and watched on as it mauled his face and arm.

"The caretaker kept delaying the payment,” police said, according to Khaleej Times. “But when Rafique persisted, Raza got annoyed and unleashed his pet lion on him. The lion wounded his face and arm."

Mohammad told police that neither Ali nor three other men at the scene made any attempt to save him from the lion attack. The police claim he was eventually rescued by passers-by who heard his cries for help and intervened.

The authorities further claim that Mohammad initially didn't file a complaint because Ali—the ever-reliable remunerator—had promised he would pay for his medical expenses and compensation. When that didn’t happen, Mohammad finally made the legal complaint.

Police have since lodged a case under section 324 of the Pakistan Penal Code, and Ali is facing a charge of attempted murder in relation to the incident.

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