July 24, 2003	Thursday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 23, 1424

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RAWALPINDI, July 23: An additional sessions judge here on Wednesday directed district police officer Syed Murawat Ali Shah to conduct an inquiry against five policemen for allegedly abducting and gang-rapping a woman.

Judge Chaudhry Imtiaz Ahmed also sent Esha Bibi, aged 25, for medical examination to ascertain whether she had been sexually assaulted by the police officials or not.

Ms Esha had moved the court for registering a criminal case against the five police officials, including SHO Azam Butt, SI Chaudhry Asghar and three unidentified policemen, of the airport police station.

She alleged that the policemen brought her to Rawalpindi after abducting her from Chiniot, district Jhang, and kept her in illegal detention for two months during which she was repeatedly assaulted. The policemen freed the woman after her condition deteriorated.

The SHO termed the allegations baseless and said Ms Esha’s husband was wanted in a criminal case and she staged the drama to pressure the police against any possible action.

CRIMINAL CASE: District and sessions judge Dost Mohammad Khemta directed the DPO to register a criminal case against a sub-inspector, Asghar Ali, of the Kalar Syedan police station after a medical report confirmed that he had tortured an innocent citizen while keeping him in illegal detention for more than two days.

The court also directed the DPO to conduct an inquiry against the SHO of the same police station, who has also been suspected of having been involved in the case.

Haleema Bibi had filed a habeas corpus application in the court on Tuesday, asking for the recovery of her son, Sakhawat Hussain.

She told the court that the SI was demanding Rs100,000 for the release of her son. The court had appointed a bailiff, who on the same day recovered the detainee from the illegal detention of the SI and sent him for a medical examination.

The SI told the court that Mr Hussain’s brother was wanted in a criminal case. After failing to arrest the accused, the police official held his brother in order to force the accused to surrender to the police.

The SHO said he was unaware of the presence of Mr Hussain in the custody of the police official.