JIT to probe seminary head over sexual assault
PHOTO: FILE
Rawalpindi's Civil Judge Noshin Zartaj on Tuesday ordered to form a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe a seminary principal accused of sexually assaulting and torturing a 12-year-old girl student at Jamia Tuba Ziaul-Binat situated in the Pirwadhai area.
The police presented the prime accused — Mufti Shahnawaz Ahmed — and the initial medical report of the victim girl in the court and sought the suspect’s physical remand.
After the initial medical report confirmed the sexual assault of the student, the court issued an order to conduct the DNA test of the victim.
During the hearing of the cases, the court ruled that such cases could not be resolved by an investigating officer or a sub-inspector, therefore, a JIT should be formed to thoroughly probe the matter in light of the Supreme Court observations.
The civil judge ordered to immediately refer the matter to the district and sessions judge to form the JIT. The civil judge said that the suspect has been granted interim bail by an additional district and sessions judge, therefore, the matter should be taken therein.
The court rejected the police plea to grant permission to arrest the suspect under another section.
The court ruled that the investigation officer can directly arrest such suspects where police deemed it legal. “Court permission is not required for such arrests,” the civil judge said.
The court granted bail to the suspect in a section related to resisting police for arrest against a surety bond of Rs50,000. However, the police detained the suspect under section 377 of the FIR, which has been registered against him
Earlier, Additional and District Sessions Judge Malik Asif Aijaz had approved the interim bail of the madrasa administrator and his female colleague but the prime suspect was arrested by the police under section 377.
Meanwhile, the prime suspect’s lawyer, Talat Mehmood Zaidi, said that police should release Mufti Shahnawaz after the court rejected their plea for the arrest and physical remand. He said that he would go to court against the police if his client was not released.
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While the investigation team said that the court has ordered a JIT and their plea was not rejected by the court and rather disposed of.
Although the court granted bail to both members of the seminary, the police held Mufti Shahnawaz under sections pertained to resisting arrest and molestation and threatening at gunpoint.
The Pirwadhai police had also arrested the administrator's brother, Haq Nawaz, nephew Hasan Nawaz and others.
On Tuesday, a court in Rawalpindi released the co-accused on bail.
Earlier, Rawalpindi City Police Officer (CPO) Ahsan Younas visited Pirwadhai Police Station and took a briefing on an investigation into the case. He asked the investigation team to probe the matter from every angle to take it to a logical conclusion.
Police sources said that the prime suspect would be presented before the court on Wednesday to seek his DNA test. The sources said that the suspect will have to be taken to Lahore for the DNA test.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 25th, 2021.