Jacobabad shut down as protesters criticise police’s failure to find Hindu girl

Asha Kumari went missing on her way home from work nearly a month back.

SUKKUR: Jacobabad wore a deserted look on Monday as shops remained closed and residents staged a demonstration against the police’s failure to rescue Asha Kumari, who was kidnapped from here a month ago.

The strike call was given by the Hindu Panchayat, Shahree Ittehad, Chamber of Commerce and Industry and various political parties. The protesters were led by Hindu Panchayat Jacobabad president Baboo Mahesh, Shahree Ittehad president Akram Abro and Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Ahmed Ali Brohi and gathered at the DCO Chowk. They chanted slogans against the police and government and also burnt tyres and blocked the road for two hours, affecting the flow of traffic.

Asha Kumari, daughter of Mohan Das, was getting training at the beauty parlour of Farida, wife Azhar Shah. A month back, she had gone to the parlour as usual, but did not return till late in the night. Asha’s brother, Vinod Kumar, then went to the parlour, where he was told that his sister had already left the place for home. Vinor, after making sure that Asha was not with any of her relatives, informed civil lines police about her kidnapping, who registered an FIR against Farida, her husband Azhar Shah, her son Humair Shah, Muneer Ahmed Joyo and Abid Soomro, and arrested them.

The protesters criticised the police for its failure to find Asha, even after it arrested the people nominated in the FIR. They said that two other Hindu girls, Rinkle Kumari of Mirpur Mathelo and Dr Lata of Karachi, have already been appeared in courts, but Asha seems to have refused to succumb to pressure exerted on her by kidnappers, as no one knows about her whereabouts.

While talking to The Express Tribune, Asha’s uncle, Dr Baboo Lal, said, “We are sure that beauty parlour owner Farida and her husband and son are involved in the kidnapping of Asha.” While talking about Asha, he said that she was illiterate, but a confident woman, and that she would have refused to convert and marry according to her kidnappers’ wishes. Dr Lal said that Jacobabad SSP, Zafarullah Dharejo, had told him that the police will be find Asha within 48 hours.

Dharejo told The Express Tribune that police have arrested all the people nominated in the FIR. Police is conducting its investigation and is hopeful that Asha will be rescued soon.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 3^rd, 2012.