Students Loses Forearm For Theft

Fri, 6 Jun 2003 Source: Times

Tashiru Harinu, a student had his right forearm chopped off in a callous display of an instant justice by a palm wine tapper, for allegedly stealing some of the drink from his farm. The suspect, Kwadwo Anorwuo, who was bent on teaching Haruna a lesson was said to have asked the student to choose between death and amputation of his right forearm.

Haruna made a passionate plea for mercy but Anorwuo would not be moved. So, without a better option, Haruna reportedly chose the lesser of the two evils – amputation, but pleaded that since he was a student and right-handed too, Anorwuo should ''kindly'' cut off the left forearm instead.

But the palm wine tapper insisted on severing the right one and went ahead and exacted his ''pound of flesh''.

After that, Anorwuo left the bleeding student to his fate and went into hiding. With blood bleeding profusely from the affected hand, the victim managed amidst pains to walk from the farm to the police station and made a report.

He was rushed to the hospital, where he is recuperating. An intensive search by the police led to Anorwuo’s arrest about two weeks ago, but the severed arm could not be traced. The suspect, Kwadwo Anorwuo has been arrested by the police and charged with causing unlawful harm.

A police source told the ''Times'' that the victim was engaged by a farmer, Owusu Sekyere to weed his maize farm on May 10. Whilst weeding, he became hungry and decided to contact the suspect, whose farm was nearby for some food, but he did not meet him. However, he saw the palm wine and decided to ''quaff'' some, but in the process, the suspect arrived and arrested him for stealing the drink.

Source: Times