Court strikes down ‘prostitution’ charge

Judge considers youth arrested from farmhouse attempted fornication


Our Correspondent May 05, 2018
PHOTO: EXPRESS

ISLAMABAD: A lower court has struck down the charges of prostitution in police case against over 40 young men and women arrested during a raid on a party last weekend.

Bhara Kahu police had raided a farmhouse at 7:30 in the morning of April 28 and picked up 25 men and 22 women, claiming they were involved in inappropriate and indecent dancing and prostitution.

All the youngsters were booked under sections 294 (obscene acts) and 371-A & B (the selling or buying of a person for the purpose of prostitution) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The alleged suspects, all in their early twenties, were produced before Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Naveed Khan the next day, who released all of them on bail against surety bonds of Rs50,000 each.

However, the judge also observed in his written order that the charges of ‘prostitution’ under Sections 371-A & B had not been justified by the police.

Police raid dance party at Islamabad hotel, arrest 50

He elaborated stating that there was no mention in the First Information Report (FIR)  of a monetary exchange and therefore, it cannot be categorised as ‘buying or selling,’ hence the prostitution charge becomes nullified, the magistrate observed.

However, the court did not drop the charges altogether, instead of prostitution, the court said it could be considered a case of alleged and attempted fornication under Sections 496-B (fornication) read with Section 511 of the penal code (the attempt to commit an offence).

“The complaint shows that offences under Section 496-B read with 511 PPC can be related to the case,” the court order read.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5th, 2018.

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