Warrants out for accused in illicit marriage case

A local court took notice of the marriage of an underage Christian girl, who was allegedly abducted and raped after being forcibly converted to Islam, it surfaced on Friday.

The judge issued bailable arrest warrants for cleric Qazi Mufti Ahmed Jaan Raheemi, who allegedly performed the marriage when she was a teenager, the husband Muhammad Imran and his relatives Muhammad Rehan Baloch, Sundus and Azra.

According to the judgment, the suspects will be able to acquire bail against a surety of Rs10,000 each.

The police had booked five suspects in the case pertaining to abduction and rape of the girl in Ittehad Town. The prime suspect, Imran, was subsequently arrested.

The court's decision came after the victim lodged a complaint against the five suspects under sections of the Sindh Child Marriages Restraint Act 2013.

West judicial magistrate Wajid Ali Channa observed that the victim had recorded her statement under Section 200 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) while the statements of the witnesses had also been recorded in the case.

The judge observed that the statements of the witnesses supported the complainant's statement and noted that the victim was under 13 years old and was not willing in the nikkah with accused Imran. The judge further noted that the marriage was solemnized without her consent under pressure, coercion and influence.