3 eunuchs raped ‘by wedding guests’

Mona, Reema and Kanwal said that the man abducted them after their dance performance.

DERA GHAZI KHAN: Three eunuchs were abducted and sexually assaulted by armed men on Friday evening.

The incident took place in the Draham police station precinct. The three eunuchs who attended a wedding ceremony said that they were abducted by four armed men who fled the scene after raping them.

A case was registered on application of the eunuchs.

According to police officials, a wedding function was arranged at Abdul Qayyum’s house. The three eunuchs Khurram alias ‘Mona’, Rehmat alias ‘Matu Reema’ and Kadhif alias ‘Kanwal Mastoi’ were performing at the function. “We had been invited for a dance performance and we arrived at the function together sometime in the evening,” said Mona. According to Mona four armed men Muhammad Mehboob, Sajjad, Muhammad Rauf and Muhammad Khan abducted them when they wer about to leave the house late at night. “We counting our earnings when someone gagged me from behind,” said Kanwal. The eunuchs said that the accused had gagged them and locked them in a room where they raped them.

“We were blind folded and driven somewhere near the wedding location and then they assaulted us,” Kanwal said, adding that they recognised the accused from the wedding. “The four men had been guests at the wedding. We saw them during our dance performance,” she said.

The eunuchs said that after several hours of abuse the armed men left them in a deserted field and fled from the scene. “We couldn’t do anything. They had guns and they threatened to kill us if we went to the police,” Reema said.

The eunuchs said that they left the field and walked towards the Draham police station where they filed a case against the accused.

Draham police station house officer (SHO) Malik Ramzan Shahid registered case number 38/11 under Article 377/452. “We are conducting an investigation and have questioned guests who were at the wedding,” he said. “The guests have confirmed that the four men attended the wedding but they are no where to be found right now.” Shahid said that three police teams were searching for the accused in the district.

“We demand justice and compensation for what has happened to us. These men must be caught and punished,” Reema said.

* The names of the victims have been altered to protect their identity

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th,  2011.