KARACHI, May 6: The Asiya murder case took a new turn on Thursday when the victim’s parents submitted a written statement before the district and sessions court of East stating that accused Yasin Bawani was innocent.

Ahmed Ali and his wife Saira Bibi submitted in the application that their injured daughter had told them that she had burnt herself and she had intentionally made statements against Yasin Bawani.

“We the parents of deceased Ms Asiya do hereby state that the deceased Ms Asiya informed us while she was alive that she had burnt herself and intentionally made statements against Yasin Bawani with the view that because of pressure they will provide her best medical treatment although Yasin Bawani committed no offence and he is innocent”, the application said.

It further stated: “We hereby state that the statements of Asiya were motivated ones at the instance of different corners and Yasin Bawani is innocent and we have no objection if Yasin is acquitted.”

The young maid, Asia, who was working in the house of Mohammad Ali Bawani for the past one year, was brought to the Civil Hospital with fatal burns on Jan 8. In her initial statement, she alleged that she attempted to commit suicide after she was molested by the driver of his employer.

However, hours after she retracted her earlier statement alleging that the teenaged son of his employer had sent three unknown men who burnt her. She also alleged that the defendant had attempted to molest her and threatened her of dire consequences when she resisted him.

In her initial statement, the young maid stated that she had been living at the bungalow of Mohammad Ali Bawani for as a maidservant and her parents lived in Punjab. She said Amanat Ali, the driver of Mr Bawani, was also living in the bungalow.

The young girl stated that at 11pm on Jan 8, Amanat was singing songs loudly and they exchanged hot words when she asked her not to sing so loudly. She said Amanat tried to molest her, but he became scared when she raised a hue and cry.

The maid said her employer couple snubbed her when she reported the matter to them. She said she went into the bathroom, sprayed her with kerosene and set herself on fire out of fear of being disgraced in society. She held Amanat responsible for his injuries.

However, later she stated that a couple of days before the incident, Yasin tried to molest her. She said she was in the lounge and Yasin forcible took her into his room. She said she slapped Yasin and ran out of his room. She said she warned him that she would report the matter to his parents.

In his counter threat, she stated, accused Yasin said that he would turn her into ashes in case she told anybody about what he did with her.

She said around 11pm when she was passing in front of driver Amanat’s room, three masked men grabbed her. She said one of them sprayed her with kerosene and gagged her and they lit a match stick and burnt her. She said the three attacker fled as she cried and Amanat came out of his room and threw water on her.

The defence counsel for Yasin Bawani, who was booked and arrested for the molestation and murder of his 16-year-old maid, filed an application for the acquittal of his client in the case. The court is yet to hear the acquittal plea of the defendant.

Yasin Bawani, represented by Shahadat Awan, was released after being given bail in the sum of Rs500,000 on Febraury 22.

In his application, the defence counsel submitted that his client was innocent and he had committed no crime as alleged.

He contended that the case the FIR had been lodged after a delay of over 21 hours on the instruction of the provincial health minister and media reports.

Shahadat Awan submitted that there was no probability of the defendant being convicted even if the available prosecution’s material was considered.

He submitted that the alleged victim girl made contradictory, improbable and dishonestly improved statements. He said the complainant girl had owned her first statement, which implicated herself and did not mention the name of the defendant.

Shahdat Awan stated that so far the allegation of zina was concerned, the chemical examiner report was negative and adversely affected the veracity of the complainant and excluded the commission of offence of zina.

He submitted that the allegation against three unknown attackers was highly improbable and false as none of the witnesses present in the house noticed any intruders. “But on the contrary Amanat and Maqsood (uncle of the victim) stated that they took out the complainant after breaking the door,” he stated.

The defence counsel contended that the defendant had left his house with his family at 10pm on the day of incident, whereas the alleged incident occurred in their absence at 11pm. Therefore, the plea of alibi was also available to the defendant from the record of the prosecution itself.

He argued that the trial of the accused in these circumstances of the case would be an exercise in futility and unnecessary harassment to the accused and abuse of process of law.

“It is, therefore, prayed that this honourable court may be pleased to acquit the applicant/accused at this state under Section 265-K of the Criminal Procedure Code in the interest of justice”, he concluded.