KARACHI: A doctor and her husband along with their three relatives were arrested for allegedly subjecting a teenage maidservant to brutal torture at their home in Defence Housing Authority, officials said on Wednesday.

The 16-year-old girl, a resident of Qayyumabad, had suffered burn injuries inflicted by hot iron, said Dara­kshan SHO Aurangzeb Khattak.

She had been working as housemaid at the residence of a female doctor and her husband in DHA Phase VI for the past six months, the officer added.

On Tuesday night, the employers allegedly subjected her to brutal torture with a hot iron blaming her for “stealing” valuables from their home and “spoiling” their four-year-old daughter, the police said.

She was taken to the Civil Hospital Karachi where she was admitted for treatment and her father lodged an FIR at the Darakshan police station under Sections 324 (attempted murder) and 337 (causing on the head or face of any person any hurt that does not amount to itlaf-udw or itlaf-i-salahiyyat-i-udw) of Pakistan Penal Code.

The teenage girl and her father also complained to the police that she was subjected to criminal assault. The police later arrested the couple along with three relatives.

The victim’s medical examination could not be conducted on Wednesday evening, as a lady medico-legal officer was not available, according to SSP (South) Javed Akbar Riaz and additional police surgeon of the CHK Dr Qarar Ahmed Abbasi.

SSP Riaz said she was admitted to the burns centre. She would be examined by the MLO on Thursday, the officer said. Dr Abbasi said she sustained burn wounds on her face.

Meanwhile, Sindh IGP A.D. Khowaja took notice of the incident and sought a detailed report from SSP South, according to a spokesperson.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2017