Lost girl: Court disposes of Indian lawyer’s plea for Geeta’s custody

Judge asks petitioner to follow legal channel, approach the Indian High Commission

KARACHI: A district and sessions court disposed of on Thursday an Indian activist's petition seeking a role in the home-going saga of the deaf-and-mute girl, Geeta, who wandered into Pakistani-territory some 13 years ago, mislaying her family.

For years, the Edhis tried to locate her home and family through various means but in vain. Her story remained unknown until recently when the media of both the countries raised the issue for its similarity with the plot of Salman Khan-starrer Bajrangi Bhaijaan.

Recently, activist Momin Malik approached the South district's top judge, Ahmed Saba, moving an application for a meeting with the girl to obtain her blood samples as he contended that five families in India were claiming she was their daughter.

Malik told the court that he was a practicing lawyer registered with the bar of the Indian state of Haryana and was pursuing the girl's case since it made headlines in the media of the two countries.

In his application filed under the Section 552 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, he prayed the court call a report from Edhi against the 'confinement' of Geeta and ask them to arrange a meeting with her so he could collect her handwriting script and blood samples.

The Edhis, however, opposed Malik. Their counsel, Naeem Qureshi, maintained that neither was the applicant authorised by the Indian government to proceed to Pakistan in connection with the case nor the families, he named, could bring any substantial evidence, proving their relation with the girl.

Clad in a pink suit, Geeta was then called to the witness box to record her statement. Since she cannot speak or hear, a sign language expert assisted the court. Geeta told the court that she did not know the name of her native town as she was very young when she lost her family.The judge, Ahmed Saba, after listening to the arguments and presiding over the long hearing, observed that the applicant was required to move through the Indian High Commission since it was a matter of relations between the two countries.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th, 2015.