Housemaid case: Sessions court extends bail of judge, wife

Court directs child, guardians to appear on Feb 10

ISLAMABAD: A district and sessions court on Wednesday granted an extension in the pre-arrest bail applications of a judge and his wife, who face charges of keeping a juvenile housemaid in wrongful confinement and allegedly torturing her.

Additionally, additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Housemaid case directed the 10-year-old victim and her guardians to appear before the court in the next hearing.

The ADSJ extended bail of ADSJ Raja Khurram Ali Khan and his wife, Maheen Zafar, till February 10 after they appeared in court amid a large number of lawyers on Wednesday morning. Previously, Judge Mehmood had approved the compromise between the parties and granted pre-arrest bail to Maheen, while accusing the police of mala fide intentions in the case.

Later, Judge Mehmood also granted interim bail till February 1 to Judge Khurram, who was made OSD by the Islamabad High Court in line with the findings of an inquiry earlier conducted.

Once the Supreme Court took suo moto notice, it voiced serious concerns at the loopholes in the ‘compromise’. Moreover, On January 3, Judge Atta Muhammad Rabbani had handed over custody of the juvenile housemaid, as noted by Supreme Court in the past, in a ‘hasty manner’.

On January 31, the SC sought replies from both the sessions judges who had heard various aspects of the case.

On Tuesday, a three-member SC bench noted that the decision to hand over the minor in a rush was not in line with the law, as Judge Rabbani overlooked the order of an assistant commissioner, who had ordered that the child be sent to a crisis centre.

The bench further noted that it wants to examine the grounds on which Judge Mehmood granted bail to the couple. Meanwhile, during the hearing, it emerged that the police have yet to submit charge sheet before the court despite assuring the apex court on January 31 that the charge sheet would be submitted on Tuesday.

A sessions court, the Islamabad High Court, and the Supreme Court are simultaneously dealing with different aspects of the case.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2^nd, 2017.