Gone missing: Family believes eloped couple may be dead

Arbi was allegedly kidnapped on April 7 near the Mirpur Mathelo bypass

SUKKUR: Arbi Chachar and Allah Rakhio Mohamadani, who eloped on April 7, are believed to be dead, sources claimed. They said that the young couple was allegedly shot dead by some influential men in Mirpur Mathelo last Tuesday.

The two other women who were kidnapped in retaliation to the elopement were recovered by the police and presented before the court.

What happened

On April 7, an 18-year-old girl identified as Arbi, daughter of Dost Muhammad Chachar, was kidnapped by unidentified men from her house near the Mirpur Mathelo bypass. "The Chachar girl has not been kidnapped," said a few journalists based in Mirpur Mathelo, adding that she had apparently eloped with Allah Rakhio. Her father and other tribesmen accused Muhammad Mithal Mohamadani of abducting the girl. To 'reclaim' their honour, a score of men from the Chachar tribe broke into Mithal's house in Nihal Town and held his family hostage at gunpoint. The tribesmen left with Mithal's wife, her sister-in-law, two sons and a cousin in their custody.

Rule of law

The SHO of Mirpur Mathelo presented two women from the Mohamadani community in court. In their statements, the women denied that they had been kidnapped. Instead, they claimed that they had gone into hiding with their relatives to avoid being humiliated by the Chachar tribesmen. The court allowed the women to go home.

A source claimed that the SHO had managed to recover the couple, Arbi Chachar and Allah Rakhio, and instead of producing them in court, the SHO handed them over to a man identified as Ghulam Hussain Chachar.

Allah Rakhio's brother Inam told The Express Tribune that Mai Nihalan and Mai Hajani of the Mohamadani community were taken hostage by the Chachars. He said that SHO Zulfiqar Mahar rescued them and presented them in court. He added that the women looked confused in court and denied they had been kidnapped due to external pressure.

"The SHO also found the couple," he said. "He handed them over to an influential man instead of bringing them to court. We don't know if they are dead or alive."

Mirpur Mathelo SHO Zulfiqar Mahar was not available for comments. The head constable of the Mirpur Mathelo police station, Qazi Sajjad Ahmed, confirmed that the Mohamadani women had been recovered and produced in court. He added that they were handed over to the family. He said that he had no idea if they had been recovered or handed over to anyone.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 17^th, 2015.