SSP tasked to probe girl’s kidnapping, gang-rape case afresh

Javed Aziz Khan

PESHAWAR: Finally, a senior superintendent of police (SSP) was appointed on Saturday as head of the committee formed to probe the alleged kidnapping and rape of a young girl from Karak, Uzma Ayub.

The inspector general of police (IGP) of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa appointed SSP Investigation of Kohat, Atiqullah Wazir, to head the probe team after a three-member fact-finding committee recommended fresh investigation into the case by an officer not less than the rank of an SP.

The fact-finding committee headed by Secretary Home and Tribal Affairs Azam Khan with Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Investigation Nisar Khan Tanoli and Commissioner Kohat Sahibzada Mohammad Anis as its members had recommended a fresh probe by a SP as well as action against the officials of the Takht-e-Nusrati Police Station. The victim girl had alleged that apart from other civilians, three policemen and a soldier were involved in her kidnapping and rape.

The committee headed by SSP Investigation Kohat Atiqullah Wazir was directed to submit its report to the provincial police officer in the shortest time.

The IGP directed the Karak district police officer (DPO) to take necessary action against the cops who were accused of kidnapping and raping the girl and later hurling threats at her family.

Uzma, her family and the human rights groups activists had expressed dissatisfaction over her security as well as investigation into the entire episode, right from her kidnapping last year till her escape from the captivity of the criminals in September this year.

Some human rights activists feared the victim girl and the baby, she is expecting after her rape, are not safe in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and have offered to take her to Karachi to deliver her baby there.

The fact-finding committee, which was constituted on the directives of Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti, had recommended conducting DNA tests of Uzma, three police officials including Inspector Mohsin Shah, Sub Inspector Amir Khan and Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Hakim Khan and 13 other accused persons.

The committee also suggested formation of another medical board to know about the exact age of the victim and had ordered action against the previous board for giving a vague report about the age of the girl.

Uzma stated in her statement under Section 164 of the CrPC before the Takht-e-Nusrati Judicial Magistrate after her escape from the captors on September 19 that police raided her home to arrest her brother and picked her up. She alleged that she was later handed over to Gul Marjan, Sardar Ali Khan, Nazar Khan and Qamar Ali alias Gulay.

“These people kept me at their house where I was raped by many people including Naseebullah’s son, Qamar Ali, Karim, Alam and two police officials,” said the girl in her statement before the court.

Source: The News

Date:11/6/2011