PESHAWAR, Nov 21: The Peshawar High Court on Friday dismissed bail petitions of two persons charged with removing the trousers of a woman in a field.

A single bench comprising Justice Dost Muhammad Khan observed that petitioners Umera Khan and Ajmal were accused by complainant Ms Khalida of stripping her off and taking away her trousers.

However, the bench allowed bail to two brothers Syed Wali and Khaista Gul, co-accused in the case. The court directed that they should be released after furnishing two sureties of Rs2,00,000 each.

According to the prosecution, the brother-in-law of the victim had a love affair with a girl of the accused family. This matter defamed the girl’s family and the petitioners decided to take revenge on the boy’s side.

On June 22, when victim Ms Khalida was passing through a field with her father-in-law Kalamuddin in their village at Nizampur, the four accused stopped them at gunpoint. They also fired on Mr Kalamuddin who escaped unhurt and fled. Later the accused removed her trousers and decamped from there.

An FIR was registered at police station Nizampur under Section 354-A of Pakistan Penal Code.

The petitioners’ counsel argued that the said section was applicable when a woman was stripped off in public. The incident allegedly took place in a field where public was not present, he argued and alleged that his clients were implicated in the case.

Advocate Asthagfirullah appeared for accused Syed Wali and Khaista Gul, and argued that they were assigned a nominal role in the crime. They had facilitated the crime and not committed it, he said, adding that they were charged with holding her.

Advocate Umer Zafran appeared for the state and contended that the accused did not deserve any leniency as they had committed a heinous crime.

Maximum punishment under Section 354-A was death, therefore the offence was non-bailable, he said.