Rape, forced abortion: Court calls for police comments

Police accused of taking bribe to release accused.


Rana Yasif January 01, 2013
Petitioner says that accused had threatened to kill her children if she told anyone about it. PHOTO: FILE

LAHORE:


An additional district and sessions judge sought comments from the Factory Area SHO for January 4 on a petition demanding the registration of a case against a police officer for allegedly releasing a suspect nominated in a rape case.


A petitioner alleged she was raped by her husband’s brother. She alleged that her husband had forced her to abort the pregnancy that resulted from the rape by threatening to kill her. She alleged that her husband did not let her obtain a medical report to confirm the rape.

She alleged that the Factory Area investigation incharge had released her husband after arresting him and not charging him with the crime.

She said she married her husband in 2005, who was injured in an accident earlier this year. She said her husband’s brother raped her at gunpoint during one of his visits ‘to inquire after her husband’s health’. She said he threatened to kill her children if she told anyone about it.

She said she remained quiet initially until her husband’s health improved. She said her husband did not believe her when she told him and asked her to call his brother in front of him so he could hear his confession.

She said she called his brother in the presence of her parents and her husband and he admitted that he had raped her.Muhammad Ghafoor

She said upon this her husband abused his brother but later sided him, telling her not to report the incident to police. She said she got an FIR registered against her husband for forced abortion and against his brother for rape.

She said the investigation incharge had arrested her husband but later released him after taking a bribe. She said the accused and police officials were now threatening her. She said the police had threatened to prosecute her for filing a false complaint if she did not withdraw the case. She said the SHO concerned did not listen to her. She asked the court to take action against the investigation incharge for not arresting the suspects.

The investigation officer (IO), Muhammad Ghafoor, told The Express Tribune that the case was registered under Section 338B for forced abortion and nominated her husband and his brother. He said police had found no substantial evidence against the suspects.

He said the police had instead learnt that while the petitioner’s husband was admitted in hospital, she had developed a relationship with a doctor. He said the investigation had also revealed Irfan had been at work when the offence was alleged to have occurred. He said the doctor who conducted the abortion had told police the petitioner had come with two of her sisters. He said the police had then called the petitioner and her sisters to the police station but they did not.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 2nd, 2013. 

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