Abuse of power: Police constable remanded in acid attack case

Suspect allegedly threw acid at his ex-fiancée

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court remanded on Wednesday a man who allegedly threw acid on his ex-fiancée burning 80 per cent of her body because she broke off their engagement.

The suspect, Zeeshan Umar alias Ali, who is a police constable, was booked after a complaint was lodged against him of injuring the 19-year-old girl, her brother Jan Muhammad and her seven-month-old nephew Muhammad Hadi in an acid attack.

According to the complainant, who is the brother-in-law of the victim, Umar was engaged to the girl a year ago but they ended their relationship after two months over some differences. Since then, the suspect, misusing his power, kept threatening the girl and her family. He even blackmailed her, despite which she continued to ignore him.

On July 17, she found Umar and his friend Agha Sohrab waiting at her doorstep in Gulzar-e-Hijri. The suspect allegedly yelled at the girl and said that she would die for breaking off their engagement. He then threw acid on her face that also fell on her brother and seven-month-old nephew. She sustained the most severe burn injuries. Both the suspects fled the scene.

The FIR registered under Sections 324, attempted murder, 336-B, destroying or permanently impairing the functioning power or capacity of an organ of the body of another person or causing permanent disfigurement and 34, common intention, of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act was lodged at the Mubina Town police station, a day after the incident.

After hearing the prosecution plea, ATC-I judge Bashir Ahmed Khoso sent the suspect to police custody on a three-day physical remand. The papers submitted to the court labeled Sohrab an absconding suspect. The judge asked the investigators to submit a progress report on next hearing of the case on July 25.

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