Kidnapping, rape & blackmail — a ‘misunderstanding’

Woman withdraws complaints saying she erred in nominating the accused.

LAHORE: The 25-year-old woman, who accused an ASI, an employee of the Punjab Civil Secretariat and a third man of kidnap, beating, gang rape and blackmail by taking her pictures and circulating them, withdrew her complaint on Wednesday.

Sania*, mother of five, has been promised her husband and her in-laws, who had abandoned her after the incident, will accept her back in the family fold, The Express Tribune has learnt.

On Wednesday, she recorded her statement before additional district and sessions Judge Akhtar Bahadur saying that she had erred in nominating the accused.

She said that she had no objection to the discharge of the case against them. She asked the court to acquit the accused. She also said that she no longer wanted to pursue the case.

After recording to her statement, the judge confirmed bail granted to the three men.

Earlier, Sania had accused ASI Basharat, PCS official Amir and Tariq of gang raping her and also filming her ordeal. She had informed the Shahdara police that they had sent the video clippings to her parents and her in-laws to deter action against them. After being thrown out by her in-laws, she had been staying with her sister.

The police had initially refused to register her complaint. Later, an FIR was registered on a direction from the chief minister’s complaint cell. The accused had been on interim bails after the registration of the FIR.

Sania’s sister told The Express Tribune that the accused had managed to persuade Sania’s husband and her father-in-law to accept her back in the family. She said that Sania had been with her for two months now and it was getting difficult to keep her due to limited financial resources.

Sub inspector (Investigation) Mohammad Amin, however, said that the victim had been paid a substantial amount by the accused besides being guaranteed acceptance by her husband and in-laws.

Advocate Liaqat Ali Cheema told the Tribune that Section 496-A of the Pakistan Penal Code, under which the case had been lodged, was non compoundable.

In principle, he said, any settlement between the complainant and the accused will not affect the course of the case. He observed that the court had granted bail to the accused but has not yet disposed of the case.

* Name has been changed to protect her identity

Published in The Express Tribune, December 10^th, 2010.