Woman ‘gang-raped’ on Bahauddin Zakariya Express by railway staff

Victim was sexually assaulted on her way back to Karachi from Muzaffargarh on May 26, say railways police

A woman travelling from Multan to Karachi via Bahauddin Zakariya Express was allegedly gang-raped by railway staff. All three suspects involved in the heinous crime have been arrested by Railway Police, Express News reported.

A case has been registered at the City Police Station in Karachi and ticket-checker Zahid, his alleged accomplice Train Manager Aaqib and another person identified as Zohaib have been nominated in the case.

As per the FIR, the victim, a resident of Karachi's Orangi Town, was divorced by her husband one and a half months ago. Her husband hails from Muzaffargarh, where she had gone to visit her children on May 26.

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She left Muzaffargarh the very next day for Karachi but could not get a ticket from Multan station. The woman boarded the train without a ticket but got one on the train. However, she had to travel without any seat.

The victim, in her statement to the police, said that when the train left Rohri Station, Zahid approached her, offering to give her a berth in an AC (air-conditioned) compartment.

The woman said the ticket-checker followed her to the compartment and sexually assaulted her while giving life threats to stay mum. Later, Aaqib and Zohaib also raped the helpless woman in the same compartment.

Also read: Married woman allegedly gang-raped

SP Railways Mehar Kosar Abbas said that the woman had not informed anyone upon reaching Karachi about the horrific incident and had left with her sister but the Railway Police approached her on its own and took her statement.

وزیر ریلوے اور چیئرمین ریلوے نے اس واقعہ پر افسوس کا اظہار کیا ہے اور ریلوے انتظامیہ اور ریلوے پولیس کو نامزد ملزمان کی فوری گرفتاری کی ہدایت جاری کی ہیں ۔ انہوں نے پرائیوٹ (outsourced) ٹرینوں میں اس قسم کے واقعات کی روک تھام کو یقینی بنانے کی ہدایت دی ہے۔

— Pakistan Railways (@PakrailPK) May 30, 2022

IG Railways Police Faisal Shahkar said that all three suspects had been arrested who hailed from Samandri, Jahanian and Shor Kot.

The railways minister and the chairman railways have expressed regret over the incident and directed the administration and Railways Police to immediately arrest the accused. They also directed to ensure prevention of such incidents in private (outsourced) trains.

Further investigation into the heinous crime is underway.