Strange but true: Police register rape case against eight-year-old

Child released on bail, father says case a result of political controversy.

MULTAN:

An eight-year-old boy was released on bail on Tuesday after Mankera police in Bhakkar arrested him for allegedly raping two women. They had registered a case against him on Monday. The boy’s older brother and uncle had also been nominated in the FIR.

Police that that the accused, Sahil*, a student of class three, kidnapped two women on Monday with the help of his elder brother and uncle. They said they beat the women, raped them and later abandoned them in the nearby fields.

They said Sahil*, the main accused, later returned to his school, from where he was arrested after one of the women’s husbands lodged a complaint against him.

Station House Officer Ameen Ghallo said that the man approached the police station on Monday afternoon and alleged that his wife and two other women had been raped by the three accused. He said he registered a case against Sahil under Sections 376 and 511 and also nominated the boy’s brother and uncle.

The SHO said that the women were brought to the hospital and their statement recorded. He said their medico-legal examination would be conducted at district headquarters (DHQ) hospital on Wednesday (today).

The complainant told police that a resident of the area had seen Sahil*, his brother and their uncle dumping the women in the fields and informed him. He said before he reached the scene, they had fled. He demanded the police hang the culprits publically.

However, police said they hadn’t found any witness. They said they did not arrest the two other men nominated in the FIR as Sahil* was the main accused.

On the other hand, Sahil’s father, Bashir* has denied the allegation. He said it was impossible for an eight-year-old to beat or rape a woman. He said his son was present at the school all this time. He said he had contacted his teacher to confirm his son’s attendance.

He said that the complainant had been trying to convince his clan to vote for a specific political party in the region. He said when he refused to do so, the complainant had threatened him with dire consequences.

He said he filed a petition at Additional Sessions Judge Mustehsan Ahmed Minhas’s court seeking post-arrest bail for his son, which was granted.

After the news was reporter on television, Sargodha Regional Police Officer Amjad Javed Saleemi directed SSP Saifullah Khatak to submit an inquiry report by Wednesday (today).

*The name of the accused has been changed to protect his status as a minor.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 12^th, 2012.