Protesters demand action against ‘harassers’

Police say they are only trying to get back at their rivals

FAISALABAD: Scores of residents of Chak 102-JB, Burj Mandi, held a demonstration at Zila Council Chowk, Faisalabad city, against Chak Jhumra police on Tuesday demanding that they register a case against a man who allegedly broke into a house two weeks ago and harassed the women living there.

The protesters blocked University Road for traffic for several hours and shouted slogans against the police. They also tried to enter the Faisalabad CPO’s office.

Rani Bibi, the complainant, said some men forced entry into her house two weeks ago and manhandled her and her daughters. She alleged that they had sexually harassed them as well. “My daughters and I were injured and we got a medical certificate proving that we had been tortured,” she said.

Rani Bibi said that she took the medico-legal certificate to the Chak Jhumra police to file her complaint but they turned her away. “The SHO had received a bribe from the men so he did not register the case.”

She said that the men who had harassed her and her family were threatening her and pressuring her to withdraw her complaint.

Operations Senior Police Superintendent Atif Ikram arrived at the scene and placated the protesters. He assured them that they would register a case against the suspects and proceed in accordance with the law.

The demonstrators then called off the protest and dispersed.

When contacted, Chak Jhumra SHO Shabbir Ahmad Baloch said Rani Bibi had had a quarrel with some women relatives of the men she had filed a complaint against. He said their initial investigation had revealed that neither had the men broken into her house nor had she been ‘tortured’ like she claimed. Baloch said Rani Bibi had filed a complaint to teach her rival women a lesson.

“I called both parties to the police station to investigate the matter but Rani Bibi and her daughters did not show up.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2015.