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Burn victim records another statement

KARACHI, January 11,2005: Asiya, a maid who was brought to hospital with serious burns on Sunday, recorded another statement before a judicial magistrate at Civil Hospital here on Tuesday.

This was the third statement, Asiya, 16, recorded in three days. Her statement on Tuesday was recorded by a judicial magistrate (JM-IV East), Ms Mushtari Khanam. Earlier, she gave a statement on Sunday to the police and later another on Monday before a doctor.

According to her statement on Tuesday, she was cleansing the bathroom of her employer attached to a bed-room when Yaseen Bawani, 17, came to the room and locked it from inside. He also closed windows and put curtains on them.

Yaseen, she said, came to the bathroom and dragged her to the bed where he acted with me in a manner which is inexpressible. I pushed him with the force of my feet, ran to the bathroom, and locked it from inside. I came out from the bathroom after an hour.

I saw Yaseen sitting on the lawn where he apologized me and warned me not to tell anyone about the incident. I said that I would tell this to everyone on which he threatened me of burning to death.”

She further stated that when she told Yaseen that she would tell this to his parents, he molested me. He again threatened me to kill my family members.” Later, three masked men came and put a bed sheet on her, set her on fire and pushed her to the bathroom.

She stated that she, in fear, immediately closed the bathroom from inside and felt burning. She realized that her clothes caught fire and she tried to put it out. Her shrieks attracted Amanat, 20, a servant and Imdad Taj, 45, watchman, who broke open the door and rescued her. They first took her to a private hospital and later to the Civil Hospital.

She stated that she did not know the three men who burnt her. She said that she had been working for a year at the bungalow. Asiya was brought to Civil Hospital with 98 per cent burns.

According to initial information provided by the police, she used to work at a bungalow in CP Barar Society where Amanat, 20, had been employed as a servant. In the first statement she involved Amanat and said that she in utter embarrassment and depression burnt herself.

The police registered a case for attempting to commit suicide against the girl and detained Amanat for investigation. The police said this information was based on a statement she had given immediately after arriving at the Civil Hospital.

In a subsequent statement on Monday, she denied the earlier statement and held Yaseen Bawani responsible for burning. On her later statement, the police registered another case and arrested Yaseen.

The police, however, obtained the physical custody of Yaseen Bawani and his driver, Amanat Ali, for interrogation till Jan 16. The police produced the two suspects in the court of Judicial Magistrate Shaista Hamid seeking a 14-day remand for interrogation and investigation. However, the magistrate ordered the police to produce the two on Jan 16.
Source: Dawn
Date:1/12/2005