Love hurts: Family humiliated in market square

The man had eloped with the daughter of an influential landlord.

FAISALABAD: A man and his family were beaten up and publically humiliated in Chitiana area of Toba Tek Singh, on Friday by the family of a woman he had eloped with. His relatives later staged a demonstration against the woman’s family and demanded strict action against them.

The man’s relatives at the demonstration told The Express Tribune that Amir* and Sumera, the daughter of an influential landlord in the area, had eloped some time ago and had run away to Mian Channu.

He said that the woman’s family had filed an abduction complaint against Amir and tracked the couple to Mian Channu. He said that her family had brought them back to Chak 323-GB on Friday. They dragged Amir, his sister and parents to the busiest intersection of the area and beat them up badly. They also manhandled Amir’s sister and tore her clothes, he said.

“Sumera’s family is so powerful that none of the people in the market square dared help our family,” the relative said.

Some of Amir’s relatives called the police to help but they arrived at the scene 90 minutes after they were first informed, he said.  “By that time, Sumera’s family members had left the scene.”

He said Amir’s family, battered and bruised, went to the hospital themselves. He said the doctors there said there were no lady doctors present at the hospital to issue Amir’s sister a medico-legal report. He alleged that the doctors had been cowed down by Sumera’s influential family.

Amir’s relatives then staged a demonstration against the landlord, police and hospital staff.

They requested the chief minister, the IGP and the Faisalabad RPO to take notice of the incident.

Chitiana police SHO Muhammad Akram said they had not received a complaint in writing, “that is why we haven’t registered a case.”

He said they would register an FIR as soon as they got a complaint in writing. 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 23^rd, 2015.