Karachi court seeks police response to woman’s plea for FIR, protection after DHA scuffle

The South additional sessions judge on Tuesday issued notices to the South senior superintendent of police complaint cell and Darakhshan station house officer, seeking their responses to a woman’s plea for registration of a case and protection following a scuffle in Karachi's Defence Housing Authority.

Last week, a video showing two women fighting while police personnel were present at the Khayaban-e-Bukhari flat had gone viral on social media. A case was registered at Darakhshan Police Station in connection with the incident.

The petition was filed by the victim, who alleged that she and her brother were assaulted during a dispute involving women in DHA, but that police refused to register their complaint and instead registered a case against them.

During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel contended that the applicants had approached police several times for registration of a case against the alleged attackers, but no action was taken because the opposing party was allegedly influential.

Read: Cops involved in DHA flat brawl identified

The counsel further submitted that the siblings were facing serious security concerns after the alleged assault and the registration of the case against them, and requested the court to direct police to register a case against those responsible and provide protection to the applicants.

During proceedings in the Sindh High Court (SHC), their counsel, Muhammad Arif, told the court that the applicants had been unable to return to their home for 11 days because of security concerns following the dispute.

He said the South deputy inspector general of police had contacted the applicants and assured them that action would be taken against those responsible. Their statements had also been recorded, he added.

Also Read: DIG South summons assaulted family, attackers in viral video case of Karachi's Defence

The counsel alleged that the case lodged on the complaint of the assailant was false, illegal and based on an incorrect version of the incident. He maintained that the applicants had themselves been subjected to aggression but were subsequently booked allegedly at the behest of influential persons.

The SHC directed police authorities to protect the applicants and issued notices to the respondents for September 21.