Judicial probe into Farishta's murder recommends strict action against police officials

Published May 31, 2019
Police misbehaved with Farishta's family when they sought to file a complaint after her alleged abduction, according to the judicial inquiry report. — AP/File
Police misbehaved with Farishta's family when they sought to file a complaint after her alleged abduction, according to the judicial inquiry report. — AP/File

The judicial inquiry report into the murder, abduction and alleged rape of 10-year-old Farishta has been submitted to the Chief Commissioner of Islamabad, and it recommends strict action against the station house officer, investigation officer and other police officials, DawnNewsTV reported on Thursday citing district administration sources.

The judicial probe, conducted by additional deputy commissioner general (ADCG) Wasim Ahmed, found that the police misbehaved with Farishta's family when they attempted to lodge a complaint following the child's alleged abduction.

According to a first information report (FIR) filed by the victim's father, Gul Nabi, his daughter had gone out to play on May 15 at around 5pm but did not return. Upon failing to find her, he feared that she had been abducted.

He stated that he had gone to the police station "instantly" and reported the incident. A missing person's report was filed on May 16, the FIR stated.

Nabi alleged that instead of filing an FIR and trying to recover Farishta, the SHO told them that she must have eloped. He also accused the Shahzad Town police station’s staff of forcing him to sweep the station.

The FIR was eventually filed on May 19 — four days after her disappearance.

MNA Mohsin Dawar, who had been highlighting the case on social media, also alleged that the victim's parents had "continuously requested concerned police station for FIR but they refused".

Dawar, in a tweet on May 20, also alleged that Polyclinic Hospital had refused to conduct a postmortem examination on the body.

However, on May 21, hospital sources told DawnNewsTV that the exam had been conducted and the results are awaited.

According to the inquiry report, the medico legal officer at the hospital was not responsible for the delay in the results of the postmortem as "there is no such officer appointed at the hospital during the night hours".

Meanwhile, sources within the district administration, citing the report, told DawnNewsTV that "no action on the basis of ethnic prejudice was taken against the victim's family". The report also states that "neither the police, nor the area residents or the district administration demonstrated any ethnic prejudice."

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