Karak rape case: Six accused approach court seeking bail

Peshawar High Court to open result of the DNA tests on March 20.

PESHAWAR:

The six accused, including two police officials, for raping Uzma Ayyub, a resident of Karak, approached the Peshawar Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in a bid to seek bail on Monday.

ASI Hakim Shah and SI Pir Mohsin Shah of the Takht-e-Nusrati Police Station along with four others, alleged to have raped Uzma Ayyub, a resident of karak, appeared before ATC (I) Judge Ibrahim Khan seeking bail after Bilqisam Jana, mother of the victim, alleged thirteen persons including three police officials raped her daughter in 2010.

ATC Judge Ibrahim, while hearing the case, said that result of the DNA tests has reached the Peshawar High Court and the case was scheduled to be heard on March 20 and adjourned the bail plea till March 22.

Registering an FIR on August 26, 2010, the mother of the victim alleged thirteen men abducted her daughter and kept her in detention for thirteen months. Later Uzma managed to escape from their custody when she was being shifted to a third group in Bannu.

An inquiry committee of the provincial interior ministry had proposed to conduct DNA tests of all the accused that would decide the case on October 13, 2011 when Uzma informed the committee that she had been raped and was six-months pregnant.

The Peshawar High Court, after Uzma gave birth to a baby, ordered the DNA tests of six of the accused and Uzma along with her daughter Zeba.

The tests have been conducted and PHC Chief Justice Justice Dost Muhammad Khan will open the sealed test report during the hearing on March 20.

Earlier the PHC took suo motu notice of the issue when Alamzeb Khattak, brother of Uzma Ayyub was gunned down at the Karak courts while he was escorting his sister on December 9, 2011.

Four persons have been arrested while one, Ibrahim Shah, brother of ASI Hakim Shah is till missing.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13^th, 2012.