ISLAMABAD: An assistant sub-inspector was arrested and a hunt for a former SHO of Golra is in progress for their alleged negligence in investigating a rape case and damaging the evidence.

Both the officials had earlier been suspended and served with show-cause notices, a police officer said on the condition of anonymity.

The ASI was stationed at the Golra police station from where he was arrested while the inspector was the SHO of the Golra police station when the rape case was registered with the police last year. Later, however, he was transferred to Rescue 15 from where he disappeared. The action against the two officials was taken in response to directives issued by the Supreme Court on Friday. The directions were issued after the accused in the rape case approached the apex court seeking bail after arrest.

The FIR of the rape case stated that the victim, a resident of Lahore, contacted the accused in response to an advertisement for a job in Islamabad. The accused asked her to come to Islamabad. When the woman reached the capital on September 28, 2016, she was picked from Faizabad by the accused and taken to a house at G-13/1 and raped.

She later managed to call Rescue-15 from a bathroom of the house. In response, the police reached the house and arrested the accused.

Talking to Dawn, the woman said the accused approached the apex court seeking bail after the district and sessions court and the Islamabad High Court rejected his applications.

She alleged that the investigation officer of the case, the ASI, and a female medico-legal officer of Pims destroyed the evidence even though samples had been taken twice.

In reply to a question, the police officer said investigations against the hospital staff was also in progress to establish if they were involved in not collecting evidence properly.

It may be noted that a report was submitted to the apex court by the National Forensic Science Agency (NFSA) on the negligence of the police officials. The report said the rape case was registered with the Golra police on September 28. The medical examination of the victim was conducted the same day.

However, the case was brought to the NFSA on November 2 - after a gap of 35 days.

“No clothes of the victim were provided from the case submitting agency,” the report added.

On a scrutiny, the blood sample of the victim was found clotted and hence the sample was returned with a request to take fresh sample. But the NFSA said it had so far not received any submission.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2017