Minor allegedly raped, thrown into bushes

Capital’s top cop tells a parliamentary body that he is personally investigating the case


Our Correspondent July 10, 2019
PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: A four-year-old girl was allegedly raped and then thrown into the bushes in critical condition near the outskirts of the federal capital. Police on Tuesday said that they have registered a case and have rounded up 30 suspects in the case.

Meanwhile, the federal capital’s top cop told a parliamentary body that he was personally investigating the case

According to Bara Kahu police, at around 9pm on Monday, the victim had run out to play in the rain near the main gate of her house, located in the Hafizabad neighbourhood of Bhara Kahu,

When she did not come back, her family started to worry and went out to look for her. They soon found her lying unconscious in the bushes close to the house. The victim, who is the daughter of a government officer, was rushed to the Pakistan Medical Sciences (Pims) in a critical condition. Doctors there confirmed that she had been raped.

According to the police, unidentified suspect(s) who had allegedly breached the gate and abducted the four-year-old victim from inside the compound. They then raped her later they threw her into the bushes.

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Islamabad Police Operations-DIG Waqarudddin Syed said that they have thus far arrested 30 suspects in connection with the case. Furthermore, the DIG said that they have formed two separate teams led by Investigation- SP and City- SP respectively.

He added that the police teams were in contact with the victim’s family.

Meanwhile, he said that Islamabad Police Inspector General (IG) Muhammad Aamir Zulfiqar also visited the victim’s family and assured them that the culprits will be arrested.  DIG Syed said that the IG was taking a personal interest in the matter and had sought daily reports from the investigation teams.

PAC meeting

A meeting of a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) sub-committee veered towards a discussion surrounding the case on Tuesday after the committee’s convener Noor Alam Khan took the liberty of asking IGB Zulfiqar about it.

During Tuesday’s briefing, IG Zulfiqar was present to respond to questions surrounding audit paras of the federal capital’s police department. After their accounts were settled, Noor asked IGP Zulfiqar for updates on the case.

The IGP detailed that the minor had been abducted from her house and taken to a field located just 200 metres away and raped.  At this, the convener committee lamented that incidents of child abuse were increasing in the capital. He demanded that the police deliver results.

The IG told the committee that the victim was currently receiving treatment at Pims.

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“I have personally visited the incident site and collected evidence and have also met the victim’s family at the hospital,” IGP Zulfiqar said, adding that the case had shaken him to the core. He asserted that he would not sit comfortably until the culprits were brought to justice. “We just want them [culprits] hanged and want to hear nothing else,” Noor said as he directed the capital’s police chief to drop everything else and make all efforts to arrest the suspects.

with additional input by Razya Khan

Published in The Express Tribune, July 10th, 2019.

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