HYDERABAD, March 15: The state counsel sought time to file comments of respondent police officials in a constitutional petition, filed by a woman in the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit bench, praying for directives to police officials not to separate her from her husband and claiming that her mother wanted to sell her to a landlord.
The district police officer (DPO) of Nawabshah, the SHO of B-section police station, Nawabshah, and the in charge of investigation team No-1 have been cited as respondents.
The petitioner, Rehana Chandio (19), wife of Mehrab Khan Chandio, claimed in the petition that her mother had refused her from marrying Mr Mehrab despite the fact that her late father had accepted his proposal. However, when she attained puberty and Mr Mehrab’s father asked her mother to marry her to his son as per promise, her mother refused and demanded a huge amount of money from him which he could not arrange.
The petitioner said that her mother came to Latifabad six months back and took some money as advance for selling her. She added that finding an opportunity she fled from the house.
She appeared before the second extra joint civil judge and first civil magistrate, Hyderabad, expressing her willingness to marry Mr Mehrab. Subsequently she was married.
Her mother and uncle mounted a search for her and gave an advertisement in a newspaper.
The petitioner approached police officials, including the DPO, Nawabshah, requesting him to ensure that the SHO, A-section police station, did not harass her. She also filed a constitutional petition upon which her mother appeared before the court and assured that the couple would not be harassed.
However, on March 8, the petitioner’s mother, Shahzadi, with the help of M. Ali Arain, the reader of the Sessions Court, Nawabshah, and in connivance with the SHOs of the A- and B-section police stations, Nawabshah, got an FIR lodged against the petitioner’s husband.
On the basis of a criminal case, police raided her husband’s house and humiliated and harassed her. In connection with the investigation regarding crime No9/2002, the Nawabshah police reached Hyderabad city to trace the couple and took the petitioner away.
She said that her mother worked in the homes of influential people, including the sessions judge, Nawabshah, and that her life was in danger.
She prayed the court to direct the police officials concerned not to try to separate her from her husband or hand over her custody to her mother against her wishes.
