30 September 2004	Thursday	14 Shaban 1425

HYDERABAD, Sept 29: A young woman of Mir Colony, Tando Jam, has categorically refuted a claim of a resident of Nawabshah that she is his wife.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club here on Wednesday, Ms Tehmina, accompanied by her parents, Arbab Ali Kandhero and Sakina Khatoon, alleged that the man, Riaz Mohammad, son of Sher Mohammad Punjabi, along with his relatives Shahzad and Sambreen had kidnapped her from near the Zubaida College in Hyderabad on April 18.

She said she had been kept at different places and subjected to criminal assaults. She was later taken to Sadiqabad and kept in the house of Fida Mohammad, elder brother of Riaz Mohammad.

She said she was pressurized to marry Riaz but she refused. She said she had told them that she would not marry without the consent of her parents, who were living in Nawabshah. Thereafter, she said, she was brought to the house of Raza Mohammad, another brother of Riaz Mohammad, in Nawabshah where where she was again pressurized to marry Riaz but she declined.

Ms Tehmina said that one day she got an opportunity to run away and reached the house of her father in the Railway Colony and later they went to Tando Jam where their other relatives lived.

She said that on May 19, she registered an FIR at the Baldia police station in Hyderabad and also filed an affidavit in the court of the civil judge and judicial magistrate-I, Hyderabad.

She said police recorded her statement under section 164 of CrPC. She said the case was pending trial in the court of the second additional district and sessions judge.

The woman said police arrested Raza and Fida, whose bail application had been rejected by the court. However, she regretted that the main accused was absconding despite the fact that the court had issued non-bailable warrants for his arrest.

She said Riaz was threatening her parents by telephone with dire consequences. She said she was living with her parents and reiterated that she had not married Riaz. She appealed to authorities concerned to arrest the main accused and provide protection to her and her family.