Day: July 21, 2008

Ms Seema Rauf, widow of the late Shahid Najmi, a junior clerk of Sindh Education and Literacy Department, who lost his life in an accident last year, still awaits for gratuity, benevolent fund, accident claim, and group insurance etc.

Shahid Najmi died of head injuries at COD while going to duty on a bike on March 2, 2007.

His widow alleges that her husband, who served the department for 19 years, was mentally tortured by the superiors and was suspended in June 2004 on false charges. According to her, Shahid Najmi met accident due to mental agony.

She had submitted applications to the President, prime minister and other authorities, who had referred the matter to the authorities concerned. On January 5, 2008, former Secretary Education Dr Muhammad Ali had appointed Director General Colleges as Inquiry Officer with instructions to probe the unauthorised suspension of the employee, which led to his death, and submit findings within three weeks but all in vain.

The widow, awaiting the arrears as her legal right, has appealed to the higher authorities to provide her.
Source: The News
Date:7/21/2008

SUKKUR, July 20: Armed people demolished the house of Wadhul Jhandeer, a widow, and took away household items in Pano Akil late on Saturday night.

Local people said that one year ago Mehram Jhandeer, son of Wadhul, had married Benazeer Jhandeer in the court, which sparked enmity between the two families.

Relatives of Benazeer Jhandeer, through a jirga had declared the couple as karo- kari and had announced to kill them.

On Saturday night they raided her house, demolished it and escaped with household items.
Source: dawn
Date:7/21/2008

FAISALABAD, July 20: Police officials are employing tactics to save the skins of their five colleagues against whom an additional district and sessions judge ordered a case for raping an under-trial woman accused on July 16, it is learnt.

Police inducted the sessions court judge as plaintiff in the case.

Manzoor Ahmed, of C Block in Millat Town, moved the district and sessions court last week, saying that his 17-year-old daughter ‘A’ was implicated in the murder of her fiancé Imran on March 14 who was killed in Faisalabad. He claims when Imran was murdered, her daughter was at home.

He said Sub-Inspector (SI) Ghulam Rasool kept his daughter in a private location till March 29 without producing her before a court. When the SI produced her before the court, he requested the court to send her to judicial lockup.

Manzoor, a labourer, said they managed to meet her daughter in jail on April 4.

Quoting his daughter, Manzoor said SI Rasool and constables Iqbal, Ameer Wattoo and Shehbaz had stripped her naked frequently and tortured her. After physical torture, woman constable Nargis used to massage her, apparently to heal her torture marks. She alleged SI Shujat Ali Malhi had raped her twice. Rasool also attempted to rape her many times and used to fondle her. He says Rasool was ready to exonerate her if she had slept with him, adding that when she refused, the SI declared her guilty and sent her to jail.

Rasool also arrested the elder sister of ‘A’ on March 26, on the directions of Malhi and both sisters were stripped naked in front of each other. He alleged police released his elder daughter after receiving a Rs35,000 bribe on March 28. He says police warned him to keep mum or face consequences.

The judge summoned ‘A’ from the judicial lockup and after listening to her, ordered Sargodha Road police to register a case against Malhi, Rasool, Iqbal, Wattoo, Shehbaz and Nargis.

The Sargodha Road police registered a case under section 376 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) on July 19 against the five accused. Police officials, however, inducted the judge as a plaintiff instead of the alleged rapist’s father. Rasool has been arrested while the remaining accused are at large.

Investigation conducted by Dawn revealed that police delayed the registration of the case for three days only to make a deal with the victim family.

Police charged the accused only under section 376 of the PPC but overlooked the charges of torturing the woman and putting her in a private location after her arrest her. The medical examination of the girl has yet to be conducted and police have not approached court to seek directions for the examination.

The Sargodha Road station house officer said police would induct Manzoor or ‘A’ as a plaintiff of the case as the sessions judge was just an applicant of the case. He said raids were being conducted to arrest the remaining accused. He said police would bring the victim to hospital for her medical examination on Monday (today).
Source: dawn
Date:7/21/2008

SAHIWAL, July 20: Police have registered a rape case after 20 days of the alleged incident on the directions of court.

Sakeena Bibi, of 12/9-L, says that on June 30 her 13-year-old daughter (H) went out to collect fodders from fields. She got worried when her daughter did not return after sometime. She went to the fields and heard the cries of her daughter. She saw Shaukat, Nosher and Alam Sher were raping H at gunpoint. When she cried out, Khadam Husain and Amin came to help her. The accused, however, threatened all of them with consequences if the incident was reported to police. On July 1, Sakeena reported the incident to police but Dera Rahim Police Station House Officer Riaz Minhas refused to register the case. On July 2, she went to the Sahiwal District Headquarters Hospital and sought the medico-legal report of her daughter.

A medical report said the girl was raped and eight injury marks were found on her body.

Despite the medical report, police refused to launch a first information report against the accused. On July 7, she filed a petition against the Dera Rahim SHO and three rapists in sessions court.

On July 19, Deputy Superintendent of Police Sajid Husain Shah ordered Dera Rahim police to launch an FIR.

“Dera Rahim Police registered the FIR against three accused,” police official Muhammad Iqbal informed Dawn. Zainul Abideen, investigation officer, said Alam Sher and Nosher were arrested.
Source: dawn
Date:7/21/2008