BAHAWALPUR: A case of an underage Hindu girl’s marriage with a Muslim boy surfaced near Yazman about 40 kilometres from here on Thursday.

According to a cousin of the girl, a residents of 121/DRB which is in the Derawar Fort, Cholistan jurisdiction, Munir Ahmed lured her (the underage girl) by offering her cash and jewellery and took her to Faisalabad’s Jaranwala area on March 15. There they claimed to have tied knot and returned to the village, she said, adding that some influential people of the area assured the family that they would return the girl but they could not honour their promise.

The girl’s cousin said the family approached Yazman circle DSP Zubair Bangash and apprised him of the forced marriage and sought registration of a case. The DSP claimed that he could not register a case as the girl stated before him that she had married Munir of her own freewill, she said.

DPO’s PRO Jam Sajid said as the office was closed on Thursday due to the local holiday on the occasion of mela Channan Pir, he would take up the matter with DPO Sohaib Ashraf on Friday. He asked the Derawar police to take legal action on the application of minor girl’s relatives.

BAN: Hundreds of devotees on Thursday returned without paying their homage to saint Channa Pir at his shrine about 40km from here in the outskirts of Cholistan.

The Auqaf department in pursuance of government’s decision had banned the Channan Pir mela. Caravans of devotees from far-flung areas across the province made it to the venue which they found closed.

RAID: Saddar Assistant Commissioner Ms Rabia Sial in a raid at 38/BC village recovered 721 bags of sugar which had been hoarded there.

The AC arrested the guard of the godown and fined Rs100,000 to the owner. She also ordered to shift the sugar to the city for its sale to the general public on controlled price.

ACCIDENT: Nine passengers suffered injuries when a wagon hit an electricity pole at Kalanchwala Lorry Adda about 40km from here on Thursday.

According to police sources, the injured were shifted to the Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH) for treatment. Police took the driver into custody.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2020