Gang rape case: Police say acting against negligent investigators

Tells SC criminal cases registered against officials who failed to record victim’s statement

ISLAMABAD:

Police authorities have initiated action against police officials who showed negligence while investigating the gang rape of a physically challenged woman in Nankana Sahib, the Punjab police chief told the Supreme Court on Saturday.

Submitting a report on the gang rape incident which took place last year on October 9, Punjab Inspector General (IG) Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera said criminal cases against the negligent officials are awaiting verdict in courts of competent jurisdiction.

“Departmental action against former Nankana district police officer (DPO) Muntazir Mehdi is pending with the competent authority while departmental action against the [negligent] inspector and sub-inspector has also been finalised according to relevant rules,” the IG said.

Last year, on November 8, police had informed the Supreme Court that they could not prove the gang rape incident since the victim had refused to let them analyse her DNA at the Punjab Forensic Science Laboratory.

While disposing of the case on November 20, 2013, the top court directed the Punjab IG to initiate proceedings against the officials handling the case on account of criminal negligence.

In the report submitted before the court on Saturday, police said they had registered criminal cases against Inspector Farmaish Ali and Sub-Inspector Maqbool Ahmad for conducting ‘faulty investigation’.

The report added that the Punjab government, on November 26, 2013, also asked the Establishment Division to take department action against then Nankana DPO Muntazir Mehdi.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 21^st, 2014.