LAHORE: Scores of people, including women and children, blocked traffic on Ring Road in Badami Bagh area for several hours on Saturday to protest the alleged rape of a 10-year-old girl and police ‘protocol’ to the suspect.

The protesters pelted the police with stones, set tyres on fire and also damaged a police vehicle.

The protest was lodged after a 23-year-old teacher sexually assaulted `N’, a resident of Nishat Park, Khokhar Road, on second day of Eid (Thursday).

The family alleged that the police were extending `protocol’ to the accused in custody, demanding handover of the suspect to them. They also demanded removal of the rapist’s family from the area.

The victim’s family told reporters that she was playing in the street around 6pm, when school teacher Irfan took her to his house and raped her.

Locals of the area sealed the school, saying that no such institution could be allowed to run where `rapists’ served as tutors.

The mob carrying clubs and bricks attacked a police personnel carrier and damaged its windscreen. Traffic remained suspended on Ring Road for hours as the protesters refused to disperse.

A heavy police contingent reached the spot, but did not make any serious effort to calm down the angry mob which also pelted the police with stones and bricks.

MNA Malik Riaz, Adviser to Chief Minister Ghazali Saleem Butt, SP Anwar Khatran, DSP Riasat and other police officials reached the spot and assured the protesters that police would redress the grievance of victim’s family.

Badami Bagh police have already registered a case against the arrested accused under Section 376 of the PPC on the complaint of girl’s mother Tehmina Bibi.

A police official told Dawn that police did not extend protocol to the accused who was sent to jail on judicial remand.

Source: Dawn

Date:9/4/2011