ISLAMABAD: Zobia Rani, the student nurse mysteriously shot outside her hostel in the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) late last month, is doing fine but remains out of reach of the police for recording her statement.

SI Abdul Razzaq of the Margalla police station said he again visited Pims on Sunday but was informed that the senior doctor who could permit the interview was not present.

Read: Police suspect nursing student attempted suicide

When Dawn contacted Dr Khaleequz Zaman, the acting vice chancellor of Pims, for a comment, he said the nurse was fine enough to be discharged within a day or two. “It is for the police to record her statement,” he added.

SI Razzaq, who is investigating the case, said he would visit the hospital again on Monday (today). He said he was keen to file an FIR and solve the case.

In the immediate aftermath of the January 23 shooting incident, the mother of the 22-year-old Rani had claimed that a bearded man wrapped in a chador had shot her daughter. But circumstantial evidence suggested otherwise.

Witnesses and police said it was dark when the security guards of Pims heard gunshot and rushed to the spot near the hostel. There they found a student nurse lying on the ground bleeding from a stomach wound.

Since no suspect was spotted, they rushed her to the surgery where Prof Tanveer Khaliq operated upon her.

The Margalla police started investigating the incident immediately, but could register the FIR only after doctors permitted the police to record Rani’s statement.

Initial investigations showed that the student nurse was depressed over failing her exam and her fiancé deserting her.

A 22-bore revolver found near the crime scene had three bullets remaining in its chamber. Traces of gunpowder on the dress of the victim showed the bullet which hit her was fired from close to her body.

Moreover, a live bullet was recovered from her coat. And the record of her mobile phone showed she had texted a former class fellow, who had cleared the exam, that she wanted to end her life. Her friend advised her not to do so.

Police contacted the friend. She said Rani wanted to commit suicide because her fiancé had broken their engagement.

SI Abdul Razzaq told Dawn that a report about the incident had been registered in the Margalla police station’s daily register but the FIR would be registered only after recording the statement.

An official of Pims told Dawn on the condition of anonymity that it looked a case of self-inflicted wound but Rani might be trying not to own that and the Pims’ staff could be helping her in that effort to avoid bringing a bad name to both.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2015

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