Rape accused in Karachi remanded in police custody till May 17

IO says they have come to know of another suspect, who will be arrested soon

KARACHI: A local court handed over Raza Bugti, accused of raping a teenager in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, to the police for physical remand till May 17.

The police presented Raza Bugti before the judicial magistrate in Karachi City court on Tuesday, where the investigation officer said that the accused had allegedly raped a 15-year-old girl.

Raza Bugti was arrested after a case was registered by the mother of the 15-year-old victim, accusing Raza Bugti and his accomplices of storming her house in her absence on May 8 and raping her daughter. According to the victim's mother, Beena, who accompanied the four men accused of rape, carried a bottle of acid and threatened to throw it on the family if her daughter spoke against the accused.

During the hearing, the court inquired why the sections related to the acid were not included in the case when it is mentioned in the FIR. In response, the investigation officer said that he had come to the court to get the remand of the accused, adding that further sections will be applied to the case after the statements of other witnesses are recorded. Previously, a video message had surfaced in which the victim's mother had said that the police had not registered the case of her daughter's rape correctly.



The accused, Raza Bugti, stated in the courtroom that a case was registered against him on the charges of rape when actually the issue pertained to payment of money.

He also said, "The police haven't arrested me. I surrendered myself."

The investigation officer said in the court that the name of another accused had come forward and he had to be arrested in order to further investigate the case.

The woman named Beena, who is also accused in the case, has acquired bail. 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2019.