Gender-based crime: Assault case against 6, including 3 cops

Policemen are also accused of unfairly acquitting four men of sexual assault charges.

MULTAN:

Jahanian police have registered an assault case against 12 men, six of whom including three policemen identified by complainant woman.

The men are accused of attacking the woman during the hearing of her sexual assault complaint against four men on July 14. The policemen are accused of unfairly acquitting these men in their investigation.

The FIR was registered on Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s orders during his visit to Khanewal on Saturday.

Jahanian Station House Officer Rehan Zaki said action would be taken against the policemen identified in the FIR once a directive in that regard was received from the office of the district police officer. He said raids would soon be carried out to arrest the three other men, two of whom have been named in the sexual assault complaint. He said the third person is their counsel.

The FIR names Assistant Sub Inspector Asghar Rajput, Head Constable Muhammad Ashraf, Constable Muhammad Ashraf, Advocate Tahir Randhawa and two rape suspects.

SHO Zaki denied that any of the policemen had beaten up the woman at the court. “She started beating herself and tore her clothes,” he said.

In an FIR registered against the woman following the July 14 scuffle, the woman is accused of attacking Advocate Randhawa, his clients and Jahanian police officials. The FIR states that she also attacked Judge Musharraf Hasan after he read out the findings of police investigation in her complaint. The report had acquitted the four men of sexual assault charges.

The woman rejected the allegations. She said she was attacked by the rape suspects and their lawyer, who were later joined by the police, on protesting against their findings.

“The police have taken a bribe from the suspects and declared them innocent in their investigation,” she said.

Talking to The Express Tribune, SP (Investigations) Naeemul Hasan said the findings of the police investigation (in sexual assault complaint) contradicted the medical examination report which confirmed that the woman had been raped. He said departmental action would be taken against the policemen who carried out the investigation.

The medical examination was performed Jahanian tehsil headquarters (THQ) hospital.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 23^rd, 2012.