Woman withdraws complaint against ‘faith healer’

Arshia accused Abdul Ghafoor of forced marriage and keeping her in illegal custody

MULTAN: A woman, who was recovered from the custody of a ‘spiritual healer’ on January 20 by police, has withdrawn the complaint, Express News reported on Monday. The victim had alleged that the faith healer had kept her in illegal confinement for two years.

Twenty-five-year-old Arshia Ahsan, a resident of Sikandarabad, called the police helpline and said that she had allegedly been held in illegal confinement for the past two years by a fake spiritual healer identified as Abdul Ghafoor.

The woman added that she had gone to the accused to have her mother treated, but Ghafoor, in connivance with his companion Lateef, forced her to marry him.

She maintained that the suspect also threatened her with dire consequences if she failed to act on his desires. She said that since then, Ghafoor had kept her in illegal confinement.

A team from Shujabad City police station took action on the victim’s complaint and raided the spot. Police recovered the woman and nabbed the accused’s brother Abdul Rauf and son Faisal. However, the culprit fled the scene.

During interrogation, the arrested suspects told police that Arshia had married Ghafoor of her own will. They stated that the couple had an argument. When matters escalated, she called the police.

The woman reportedly told the police in her statement that Abdul Ghafoor was her husband and she married him of her own will. Arshia said that she does not want the police to take action against him. She requested the police officials to release her brother-in-law and his son.

Meanwhile, the police released the suspects after recording statement of the woman.