What free will?: Man maimed over love marriage

He had married a woman from his neighbourhood and fled to another city.

RAHIM YAR KHAN:

A man was beaten up and his nose and ears chopped for marrying a woman without her family’s consent.  

The incident took place on Friday, after Jameel, a resident of Basti Feeta Kata near Sadiqabad, allegedly abducted his brother-in-law, Qasim, 25, and took him to a nearby vacant dera in Ali Mardan village, where he beat him and later cut his nose and ears with the help from his accomplices Zaheer, Asif and Arif.

A passer-by, who heard Qasim scream in pain, went over to investigate and found him lying in a pool of blood.

The police were informed and Qasim was taken to Shaikh Zayed Hosptial, where doctors treating him said that he would likely survive. They said he had undergone a surgery and would take some four weeks to fully recover.

Police said Qasim, also a resident of Basti Feeta Kata, had married Jameel’s sister, Majeeda Bibi, 21, six months ago without the approval of their families. Fearing for their lives, police said, the couple had left the village and started living in Khanpur from where they later shifted to Ahmedpur East.

The woman’s family had accused Qasim of ‘abducting’ the girl in a complaint to the police. They had also approached a panchayat last week.

The panchayat ordered Qasim to send the girl back to her parents’ house. The couple was located by the girl’s family a few days ago. They handed over Qasim to the police and took Majeeda Bibi with them.

Later, they withdrew the case against Qasim after the girl reached home, following which the police released him.

On Friday, police said, Jameel took Qasim to a dera and cut his nose and ears. He also beat him with the help of his four accomplices and fled.

Asghar, a resident of the neighbourhood, told the police said he had heard a man crying while passing by the dera that had not been in use recently. When he went in, he said, he found Qasim lying on the floor.

Station House Officer Ghulam Mohiuddin of Sadiqabad police station said they had recorded Qasim’s statement.

They said Qasim had told them that Majeeda Bibi remained his wife and that he did not intend to divorce her.

The SHO said a case has been registered against Jameel, Zaheer, Asif and Arif under Section 324 (attempted murder). He said police were looking for the suspects.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2012.