Back to the dark ages: Husband, brothers-in-law shave woman’s head

Victim says she was kept imprisoned for four days prior to shaming ritual.

BATTAGRAM: A woman has accused her husband and his two brothers of beating her and shaving her head in Shamlai village, said the police on Tuesday.

Rozina*, 22, a resident of Hal Bana Shamlai, told the police she married Shahid, from the same village, a few months ago.

According to the police, she said her husband and his family have been misbehaving with her since the early days of their marriage but she ignored it and did not inform her parents. About two months back, her husband and his brothers beat her mercilessly, forcing her to leave for her parents’ residence.

During this period, she told the police, her in-laws tried to persuade her to come back but her parents refused to send Rozina.

Five days ago, Rozina’s in-laws sent a jirga to her father, pressurising him enough to send his daughter back to Shahid’s. The police said Rozina went back on the assurance of jirga members who said her husband and his family promised to mend their ways and not abuse her.

However, the day she reached Shahid’s house, her in-laws and husband allegedly locked her in a room without food or any communication for four days.

On Monday afternoon, when she started crying for help Shahid and his two brothers Babar and Banaras entered the room and first shaved her head. The three men then proceeded to batter her.

“They also tried to tear off my clothes and bit my nose but fled when some neighbours came to my rescue,” Rozina had said.

On Rozina’s complaint and after her medical examination, Shamlai police lodged an FIR against three accused under sections 354, 511, 337 and 342 of the Pakistan Penal Code. According to Shamlai SHO Ghulam Muhammad Khan, a search was under way for the accused.

*NAME HAS BEEN CHANGED TO PROTECT IDENTITY

Published in The Express Tribune, November 26^th, 2014.