Minor domestic worker beaten to death by employer
Photo: File
A 12-year-old girl died allegedly after being tortured by her employer, while a nine-year-old girl sustained injuries in a separate incident.
In the first incident, a 12-year-old girl, identified as Zainab, allegedly died after being assaulted by her employer at a house on Khalid Road in the jurisdiction of A Division police station.
According to her mother, Zainab had been working at the house of a woman named Farhanda for the past 18 months for a monthly salary of Rs4,000.
She said that after 10pm on the night of the incident, Farhanda called her and told her that the girl was unwell and asked her to come to the house immediately without bringing anyone along.
The mother said she was unable to afford even the Rs100 rickshaw fare and had to walk for nearly two hours to reach the house.
She alleged that the woman repeatedly refused to let her speak to her daughter over the phone.
Upon reaching the house, she found Zainab lying on the floor, with a wooden stick lying nearby. The woman and her son were reportedly not present at the house at the time.
The victim's mother said her brother called police. The police collected evidence and shifted the body to a hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Farhanda, her son Ali Haider and her husband, Riffaqat, have been nominated in the case.
Zainab's father had died six months ago, while her mother works at a brick kiln.
The family's financial difficulties had compelled the girl to work as a domestic helper, earning Rs4,000 a month, her mother said.
In a separate incident two days earlier, a nine-year-old girl, identified as Iman Fatima, allegedly suffered a fractured arm after being assaulted by a married couple in Gujjar Town, within the jurisdiction of Sadar police station.
In a video statement, the girl alleged that her employer repeatedly applied a heated metal rod to sensitive parts of her body. She said neighbours intervened after hearing her screams and helped rescue her.
According to sources, the woman, identified as Zunaira, and her husband, Waris, both work for the police department. Police have registered a case and initiated legal proceedings.
District Police Officer Bilal Zafar Sheikh has taken notice of the incident and constituted a team under the supervision of the SP Investigation.
Police said further action would be taken in light of the post-mortem report and available evidence. Advocate High Court Hamid Khan said the incident of violence against a domestic worker in Sheikhupura was the second such case reported in the city within a few days.
He said the failure to enforce the law and ensure justice, coupled with influential individuals escaping punishment, was contributing to an increase in such incidents.
He stressed that the state must take strict measures to prevent such crimes and ensure that perpetrators think twice before committing similar acts in the future.
Suspect Riffaqat has been arrested following strict notice taken by Sheikhupura District Police Officer (DPO) Bilal Sheikh.
The DPO said strict legal action would be taken against the suspects and that no leniency would be shown towards them.