Domestic violence: Wife ‘made to swallow acid’ dying

Doctors say her injury is beyond treatment; suspects reject allegations.

DEPALPUR:

The affliction of a Depalpur woman, allegedly tricked by her husband into swallowing acid, has been declared incurable by doctors in Okara and Lahore, the family of the woman says.

Sajida’s mother, Fateh Bano, told The Express Tribune that she remained under treatment at Depalpur tehsil headquarters (THQ) hospital and Jinnah Hospital in Lahore for nearly two months after her husband allegedly tricked her into swallowing acid.

Bano said her daughter was discharged from Jinnah Hospital a week ago as doctors concluded that the infection in her stomach and intestines was beyond cure. She said Sajida’s health was deteriorating. “She is a fraction of the size she used to be three months ago,” Bano said.

Sajida now lives at her parents’ house. Talking to the Tribune, she said she married Khalid Mahmood four years ago. She said her husband had now wanted to marry again. She said the couple had had several arguments over the issue, all ending in Mehmood beating her. She said her husband and his father tricked her into swallowing poison by presenting it to her as cough syrup.

Sajida’s family said they did not trust the police to prosecute the suspects. They said the suspects were arrested by the police two months after the incident.

“They registered an FIR and arrested them after a number of people from the village gathered in front of the police station and threatened to lay siege until the suspects were arrested,” Sajida’s father Muhammad Yar said.

Saddar police rejected the suggestion that they had delayed the registration of the FIR. SHO Malik Tariq Awan said the family filed a complaint two months ago but did not follow it up. He said an FIR was registered under Sections 337-J and 324 of the Pakistan Penal Code when the complainant again approached the police a week ago.

He said during questioning the suspects had told the police that Sajida had attempted suicide. “They deny that they tricked her into swallowing poison,” he said.

The SHO said he had yet to record the arrests and that a police team was being sent to Jinnah Hospital on Wednesday (today) to obtain a copy of Sajida’s medical report.  He said further proceedings would be based on the findings of the medical report.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 14^th, 2011.