Woman burnt by ex-fiance after rape attempt

Three accused threw acid on a woman after neighbours broke in to rescue her from rape.

FAISALABAD:

Three accused burnt a woman by throwing acid on her after trying to gang rape her on Wednesday.

According to police officials, Chak No266 GB resident Hameeda Ali was burnt by three men after nearly being gang raped.

Before being admitted to the hospital, Ali told police that she began screaming for help and when several people gathered outside the room to try and free her, the accused threw acid on her and fled through the window.

The incident took place in the Rajana police station limits and Hameeda’s husband Asghar Ali told police officials that his wife was alone at home when Shakeel and his two accomplices stormed into the house and tried to rape her. “They tied her up and were going to rape her when she began screaming. Some people heard and broke down the door but the men escaped,” Asghar Ali told police officials. Asghar told police that the accused had also tortured his wife with knives. “They mutilated her face and chest with a knife before throwing acid on her. I want these men found and hanged,” he said.

“They must have heard us in the house and escaped. We found Hameeda with her clothes torn and acid thrown all over her body. I took her to the hospital,” neighbour Shahbaz Rahman told police officials.

Hameeda was taken to Allied Hospital where doctors deem her condition to be critical. “She was barely conscious when she was brought in and she gave a brief statement to the police. She has suffered third degree burns to her face arms and chest. Nearly 70 per cent of her body has been burned and the accused even burned her private parts. It is unlikely she will survive but we are doing everything we can,” said Dr Muhammad Kamran, adding “She has been admitted to the burns unit and is receiving treatment.”

Doctors told police that Hameeda was severely tortured and that her body had been mutilated. “The accused also used masaala on her wounds and she is in terrible pain,” he added.

Police officials are searching for two of the accused but have apprehended Shakeel. Rajana police SHO Jamshed Chisthi said that police had registered a case and were searching for the accused. “We have questioned all the witnesses and her husband says that he Hameeda was previously engaged to marry Shakeel but she turned him down,” he said. “The accused are no longer in the area but we are questioning their family and friends and will arrest them soon,” he said.

The name of the victim and the accused has been changed to protect her identity

Published in The Express Tribune, November 3^rd, 2011.