Heinous crime: Woman fleeing rapist hit by train

An influential landlord was pursuing her with the intent of rape, her father said.

FAISALABAD: A woman got in the way of a train and died in an attempt to flee from a local influential who was chasing her with the intent of rape on Saturday.

The father of the ill-fated girl, a resident of Basti Mallah Wali, told media persons on Sunday that his family worked at a brick kiln near Jhang City railway station.

He said his 25-year-old daughter was on her way home from the kiln when a local landlord stopped her and tried to forcibly take her to his dera. She resisted the attempted and managed to escape.

He said she reached home and told them about the incident.

The man followed her home. He was drunk and tried to force his way into the house, the father said.

The landlord ordered us to send the girl with him or he would kill her and the rest of the family, he said.

He said that the family members resisted and his daughter climbed over the boundary wall of their house and ran away.

He said that she went in the direction of the rail track and was hit by a train.

“She tried to protect herself and her family from disgrace,” the father said. “We have approached the police but we are poor kiln workers and the landlord is forcing us to retract our complaint or face dire consequences,” he said.

The Jhang City station house officer told The Express Tribune that the police were investigating the matter and would take a decision on merit.

“If the allegations are true, the landlord will be taken to task without any leniency, regardless of his social status. However, he has not been arrested yet,” the station house officer said.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 24^th, 2014.