BAHAWALNAGAR: The Minchinabad police claimed on Wednesday to have arrested a man on charges of harassing, blackmailing and attempting to rape his tenant at Mohallah Munsafiwala.

According to the FIR, a resident of Mohallah Munsafiwala rented out a house to a woman about one and a half years ago. It said the woman had been divorced about six months ago after which she started a beauty parlor business. The house owner, it said, started harassing the woman and offered a rent waiver in return of developing relations.

The FIR said that on Tuesday night, the house owner rang up the tenant but she didn’t receive his calls. It said the very next day, the owner, along with two men, barged into the house, tried to rape the woman and tore her clothes. Two passersby rescued her on hearing hue and cry.

It said the attackers before leaving the house threatened her with dire consequences in the presence of eyewitnesses.

Police arrested the suspect.

GIRL RECOVERED: Police on Wednesday recovered a teenage girl two days after a group of armed men forcefully took her from her home and shot dead her younger brother during resistance to avenge a free will marriage.

Police said Shafqat, of Mauza Jodheka Hathar, contracted love marriage with Parveen Bibi, sister of landlord Sardar Lakhoka, a few months ago. Police said Sardar was enraged and he, along with eight accomplices, barged into Shafqat’s house and forcefully took his 18-year-old sister away. They said the attackers shot dead Shafqat’s brother Badar Jahangir when he tried to rescue his sister.

Bahawalnagar DPO Zaffar Buzdar told Dawn that he constituted a team to recover the girl. He said police arrested one of the abductors and raids were being conducted to arrest other suspects.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2021