KARACHI, May 30: Additional District and Sessions Judge, South, Farzana Anwar Shah, acquitted on Tuesday two brothers of raping two sisters. Salim Raza Jutt, 32, and Sohail Raza Jutt, 22, sons of Faqir Mohammed Jutt, were prosecuted for raping two young daughters of a KPT worker in April 2003 and February 2004 in Baghdadi police area.
The complainant father had alleged that the two brothers, represented by defence counsel Shahdat Awan, were the residents of the same building where he was living with his family.
He reported to the police in March 2004 that his elder daughter became pregnant after Salim Jutt raped her some five or six months ago. He said that he immediately married her pregnant daughter to a man of his community out of fear of disgrace and dishonour. However, he said, his son-in-law forced her daughter out of his house when he learnt about her rape by the accused.
The complainant stated in the FIR that later her pregnant daughter gave birth to a baby at his house. He said her daughter abandoned the newly-born at the Edhi Centre, Kharadar.
He further alleged that on Feb 19, 2004 , accused Sohail Raza took her younger daughter to the rooftop of the building and raped her.
The police arrested the two brothers following the registration of the FIR by the complainant. However, later the two brothers were bailed out.
The prosecution also examined complainant, his son and one of his daughters as prosecution witnesses. The younger daughter of the complainant was not examined in the court as she was reported to be not mentally fit for recording evidence.
The defence counsel took plea that the owner of the building, where his clients and the alleged victim family were living was a friend of the complainant. He brought on record the enmity between the complainant’s friend and his clients.
The defence counsel submitted that the daughter of the building owner had eloped with the brother-in-law of accused Sohail and his friend had implicated the two brothers in the rape case.
The judge exonerated the two brothers from the charges of rape as the case of the prosecution also contained contradictions.
Accused identified: Widow of a slain police officer and a rickshaw driver identified the accused as murderer before an anti-terrorism court.
Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the ATC-5 fixed Wednesday for the next hearing after recording the statements of widow Nazeer Jan, and rickshaw driver Mehmood Khan, who were also cross-examined by defence counsel Fazalur Rehman Awan.
Accused Sohail has been charged with the targeted killing of ASI Riyaz Ahmed on January 3, this year at Mir Adam Khan Road, Lyari, in the limits of Chakiwara police station.
The cop’s widow submitted that she was going along with his husband on motorcycle when three motorcyclists intercepted them and shot her husband dead. She said the culprits also snatched her mobile phone and Rs6,000 and they took away the victim’s motorcycle.
The rickshaw driver submitted that he was waiting for the passengers across the road when he saw three motorcyclists intercepting the victim. He identified accused Sohail as one of the attackers.
