Pakistan Gender News Voice of Gender News From Pakistan
By: Ishaq Tanoli
KARACHI: A session’s court sentenced on Tuesday a man to 10 years in prison in a rape case. The man, Khurram Shahzad, was found guilty of subjecting a woman to a sexual assault in April 2008 within the remit of the Zaman Town police station.
Additional District and Sessions Judge (east) Manthar Ali Jatoi pronounced his verdict after recording evidence of witnesses and final arguments from both sides. The court also imposed a fine of Rs50,000 and in case of default the convict would have to undergo additional three months in prison.
However, the wife and sister of the convict, who had been charged with abetment, were acquitted for want of evidence. The court in its verdict ruled that the victim had specifically deposed against the accused in the commissioning of the offence and other prosecution witnesses had supported her version.
The medical evidence also corroborated the testimony of the victim on the point of rape, it added.
It further stated that the accused in his statement failed to give any plausible reason as to why the witnesses had deposed against him, while the victim was subjected to lengthy cross-examination, but the defence failed to shake her evidence.
The case of the prosecution stood proved against the male accused beyond a shadow of a doubt, the court ruled. However, it observed that the case of the female accused for abetting the crime was not established, as no solid evidence was placed in court to substantiate the allegations leveled against them.
According to the prosecution, the victim was a nurse at a private hospital in Korangi and on April 28, 2008 she was on way to her workplace, but fell unconscious when somebody put a piece of cloth on her mouth. After regaining senses, the victim found her at the house of the accused and his wife and sister were subjecting her to torture, the prosecution said, adding that the accused raped her at the behest of the female accused.
A case (FIR 189/08) was registered under Section 376 (punishment for rape) and 109 (abetment) of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Zaman Town police station.
The accused were on bail and the convict was taken into custody shortly after the pronouncement of the verdict and sent to prison to serve out his sentence.
