Acid attack: Cop attacks ex-wife, FIR takes week to register
The FIR contains no mention of acid crimes laws; police claim they will add the section ‘later’.
The FIR contains no mention of acid crimes laws; police claim they will add the section ‘later’. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
In a stomach-turning example of a law enforcer breaking his vow to uphold the law, and possibly his comrades’ attempt to cover up his misdeeds, a policeman allegedly threw acid on his ex-wife in Sector 1/11 of Federal Capital last Friday. However, it took over a week for a first information report (FIR) to be registered by the Islamabad police.
The Sabzi Mandi police said that a Rawalpindi Police Constable Waseem Ashraf on Friday threw acid on his ex-wife near a large wholesale retail outlet and then fled.
The police said that accused, Ashraf, and two other accomplices intercepted Naz* outside the store, where she works, and tried to kidnapped her. After she resisted, Ashraf threw acid on her and fled.
The police said that the couple had married some six years back and went on to have two daughters together. After four years of marriage, they developed differences and Ashraf divorced his wife.
After the divorce, Naz went to live with her parents in Shakrial. Police said that Ashraf did not pay Rs100,000 mehr (divorce settlement) to Naz. She has been trying to get Ashraf to pay the money for the last two years, but Ashraf refused and started threatening her with dire consequences.
Naz told the police that a couple of days back, she again contacted her ex-husband and demanded the money. She further said that she warned her former husband that if he does not pay, then she would file an application with the inspector general of the Islamabad Police. On hearing this, Ashraf got furious and threatened to “teach her a lesson for demanding the money”.
On Friday, he came to her workplace and threw acid on her.
Locals and Naz’s coworkers rushed her to a nearby hospital. The investigation officer for the case, SI Sarfraz Ahmed, told The Express Tribune that her right shoulder and chest have been affected.
“We have registered an FIR against the accused…and raids are being carried out for his early arrest,” said, Ahmed.
He said that the accused has been booked under section 337, 365 and 511, adding that the accused could face 14-years imprisonment.
Flawed FIR?
Police sources said they had been waiting for a medical report to be provided before registering an FIR.
However, despite having based the FIR on the medical report, the FIR makes no mention of the much-touted acid crimes laws, section 336-A and 336-B.
When asked about the possible oversight, Sabzi Mandi Police Station House Officer Chaudhary Zulfikar said he was examining the case and “after reviewing it, we will add the section if it is appropriate”. On the other hand, high court lawyer Chaudhary Khalid was of the opinion that the ‘oversight’ and that the delay in filing the FIR shows the true intentions of the police.
In January this year, Murad Shah was allegedly attacked by two men on the order of a former female colleague outside his house in Sector E-11, while last year, a woman was allegedly attacked by her drug-addicted husband in Shahzad Town area after she tried to divorce him.
*Name changed to protect identity
Published in The Express Tribune, December 15th, 2013.
In a stomach-turning example of a law enforcer breaking his vow to uphold the law, and possibly his comrades’ attempt to cover up his misdeeds, a policeman allegedly threw acid on his ex-wife in Sector 1/11 of Federal Capital last Friday. However, it took over a week for a first information report (FIR) to be registered by the Islamabad police.
The Sabzi Mandi police said that a Rawalpindi Police Constable Waseem Ashraf on Friday threw acid on his ex-wife near a large wholesale retail outlet and then fled.
The police said that accused, Ashraf, and two other accomplices intercepted Naz* outside the store, where she works, and tried to kidnapped her. After she resisted, Ashraf threw acid on her and fled.
The police said that the couple had married some six years back and went on to have two daughters together. After four years of marriage, they developed differences and Ashraf divorced his wife.
After the divorce, Naz went to live with her parents in Shakrial. Police said that Ashraf did not pay Rs100,000 mehr (divorce settlement) to Naz. She has been trying to get Ashraf to pay the money for the last two years, but Ashraf refused and started threatening her with dire consequences.
Naz told the police that a couple of days back, she again contacted her ex-husband and demanded the money. She further said that she warned her former husband that if he does not pay, then she would file an application with the inspector general of the Islamabad Police. On hearing this, Ashraf got furious and threatened to “teach her a lesson for demanding the money”.
On Friday, he came to her workplace and threw acid on her.
Locals and Naz’s coworkers rushed her to a nearby hospital. The investigation officer for the case, SI Sarfraz Ahmed, told The Express Tribune that her right shoulder and chest have been affected.
“We have registered an FIR against the accused…and raids are being carried out for his early arrest,” said, Ahmed.
He said that the accused has been booked under section 337, 365 and 511, adding that the accused could face 14-years imprisonment.
Flawed FIR?
Police sources said they had been waiting for a medical report to be provided before registering an FIR.
However, despite having based the FIR on the medical report, the FIR makes no mention of the much-touted acid crimes laws, section 336-A and 336-B.
When asked about the possible oversight, Sabzi Mandi Police Station House Officer Chaudhary Zulfikar said he was examining the case and “after reviewing it, we will add the section if it is appropriate”. On the other hand, high court lawyer Chaudhary Khalid was of the opinion that the ‘oversight’ and that the delay in filing the FIR shows the true intentions of the police.
In January this year, Murad Shah was allegedly attacked by two men on the order of a former female colleague outside his house in Sector E-11, while last year, a woman was allegedly attacked by her drug-addicted husband in Shahzad Town area after she tried to divorce him.
*Name changed to protect identity
Published in The Express Tribune, December 15th, 2013.