‘No arrests in child rape case so far’

IG Khan Baig has been directed to submit a report in two weeks.

LAHORE: Last week, Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jilani directed the provincial police submit a report on investigations into a child rape case in two weeks. He was heading a five-member bench of the Supreme Court hearing suo motu proceedings. Inspector General Khan Baig told the court that 194 suspects had been interrogated. He said so far no arrests had been made.

He said Investigations DIG was monitoring the case. He sought time to submit a final report about the investigation in the case. The bench allowed the request and adjourned hearing for two weeks.



The bench was holding suo motu proceedings at the Lahore registry. Former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary had taken suo motu notice of the case on September 13.

Contaminated medicine

The Supreme Court also directed the company manufacturing Isotab to pay Rs 500,000 compensation to the families of those who died as a result of consuming a contaminated batch at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology. Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani said the company should pay a ‘respectful’ compensation. Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rehman were other members on the bench.  Counsel for Efroze Chemicals had told the court that the company proposed to pay Rs300,000 to heirs of each of the victims.  The bench, however, rejected the proposal and remarked that the company should pay a compensation no less than the government (Rs500,000).

Gecko found in prisoners’ food

The prisons inspector general told the Supreme Court last week that two deputy superintendents and a jail warden had been suspended when a gecko was found in the food being served to prisoners at Kot Lakhpat Jail.

The IG said an inquiry into the incident was underway and would be completed soon.

The bench, headed by Justice Tasadduq Hussain Jilani, was holding proceedings into a suo motu notice it had taken on the news item about the incident. Inspector General of Prisons Farooq Nazeer and DIG Prisons Malik Mubashir had appeared before the court. The DIG told the court that apparently a gecko was found in one of the three buckets of food for the prisoners. He said the prison administration had immediately arranged for fresh food for the prisoners.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 30^th, 2013.