BAHAWALNAGAR: A paralysed man, an eyewitness in a gang-rape case, has lost his eyesight due to torture by the influential accused for not withdrawing from the case while the police are allegedly supporting the attackers by not registering a case on his complaint. He has appealed to the inspector general of police (IGP) to look into the matter.

Arif Dhuddi, a resident of Chak 116 Muraad, told the media that a widow of his locality was gang-raped some months back by some powerful men, including two landlords, over a land dispute. He said he was an eyewitness in the case registered against the accused with the Bakhshan Khan Police Station.

According to him, the suspects started issuing him threats of dire consequences on his refusal to withdraw from the case. He alleged that a landlord and his accomplices abducted him on Aug 31 and subjected him to brutal torture with sticks and kicks for the whole night at an outhouse before throwing him in the fields.

He said he lost his eyesight and his teeth were broken due to the torture while his hands and legs were already paralysed.

Accuses police of favouring attackers, seeks IGP’s help

Arif’s brother Habib Ahmad said they approached the Bakhshan Khan police for registration of a first information report (FIR) but the police refused to do so without a medical report. He claimed that THQ administration referred Arif to the DHQ Hospital Bahawalnagar to an eye specialist but no police official was ready to go with him even after the passage of six days.

Habib said the police wanted to delay the report to favour the attackers. He said that they went to the SDPO’s office for justice but to no avail. He demanded the inspector general of police to take action over the matter.

THQ Hospital Chishtian Medical Superintendent Dr Anwar told Dawn that after initial tests, Arif was referred to the DHQ hospital for further tests as no eye specialist was available at the THQ hospital. He said the delay was only because of the police as no police official contacted the THQ administration despite being informed.

Bakhshan Khan SHO Rao Muhammad Ali claimed that the police were not informed by the THQ hospital yet. He also claimed that he was unaware that Arif was an eyewitness in the gang-rape case. He claimed that the police were trying to arrest the suspects.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2020