Suspects in Clifton gang-rape case arrested
Two suspects were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly abducting and subsequently raping a 'flood-affected' minor girl within the limits of Boat Basin police station in Clifton, Karachi.
Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon confirmed the arrests, saying that one of the culprits was arrested from the DHA locality of the city.
Later, South district police claimed that both the suspects were drivers and were arrested with the help of CCTV footage.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, SSP South Asad Raza said that both the suspects involved in the rape case have been arrested. He further said that one was arrested from the city while his accomplice was held in Tando Allahyar district.
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Raza also said that the investigation is underway, adding that medical samples of the suspects have been sent to Dow University Hospital laboratory for examination. The suspects are in police custody and will be produced before the court on October 27.
Police said that the culprits used a white Suzuki Alto and that all the vehicles in the city were physically checked.
The owner of the vehicle was from Ghotki but he sold the car in the city. The documents were not transferred against the name of the new owner of the car, police said.
Police has also claimed that the girl and her family were not flood-affectees but seasonal beggars.
The incident
According to the FIR, on Sunday, at around 11am, two unidentified suspects forcibly took the minor girl into their car and subjected her to gang rape.
Later, the suspects left the girl in the area from where they had picked her up at around 2:30 pm.
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The girl's mother rushed her to Jinnah Hospital, where she is still under observation and treatment.
After the medical examination, a police surgeon confirmed that the girl had been sexually assaulted.
According to Dr Samia, the police surgeon who examined the victim informed the South District Police that the victim was in such a terrible condition that she had to be examined in the operation theatre.
She said that the body of the girl bore violence marks and severe torture. The examination at the hospital had also revealed that the girl was gang-raped while samples have been obtained from the girl for DNA and other tests.
The police officials had said, the victim girl told the police in her initial statement that she was assaulted by two unknown persons.
The police had also registered a case against the suspects under Sections 34/376 and 364A of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) on the basis of the victim's statement.
Strict action ordered
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali had taken strict notice of the incident of rape of the 10-year-old girl and directed the police officials to arrest the accused immediately.
The CM had directed the police to take the girl and other family members into protective custody.
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He had told Additional IG Karachi Javed Odhu on the telephone that such incidents are unacceptable and cannot be forgiven, therefore, the accused persons need to be behind the bars at any cost.
Meanwhile, the chief minister had directed Women Development Minister Shehla Raza to keep the entire family under protective custody, after which the family has been kept in the women's police station.