HARIPUR: A local judicial magistrate on Friday granted the police one-day physical remand of a suspected rapist for investigation.

Saddar SHO Khalid Rehman told reporters here that the arrested man was suspected of assaulting an 11-year-old girl in Kaag village in the morning.

He said the girl told the police that the suspect assaulted her after dragging her into his house when she was returning from a village seminary, and later left her semiconscious in nearby bushes.

The SHO said the police had arrested the suspect after booking him on the girl’s complaint under Section 376 of the PPC.

Investigation officer of the police sub-inspector Javed Khan said doctors at the District Headquarters Hospital confirmed the assault.

He however said samples from the girl’s body were sent to Peshawar’s forensic lab for a detailed report on assault.

The investigation officer said the suspect would be produced in the court today (Saturday).

PANEL FORMED: The administration of Haripur on Friday constituted the first district oversight committee for the prisoners’ affairs.

A notification issued by the deputy commissioner’s office said the committee consisted of a chairman and five members, who represented the civil society, district bar council, education and health sectors.

It added that the DC would act as focal person for the committee.

Formed on the orders of the Supreme Court, the committee will monitor the conditions of prisoners in Haripur, especially women, children and poor prisoners, and help the district administration implement the court’s orders.

Dr Mohaiman, chairman of the Society for Peace and Conflict Management at the University of Haripur, will act as the committee’s chairman, while human rights activist Mohammad Sadaqat,civil society activist Irum Fatima, lawyers Jawad Habib and Gulnaz Rasheed and clinical psychologist Sahira Bibi will be its members.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2018