HYDERABAD: The DNA test report of the two girls who were reportedly subjected to gang-rape after abduction in the jurisdiction of Naukot police station on Feb 9, and their tormentors proved that the victims were subjected to sexual assault by three suspects.

The test findings have been communicated to Mirpurkhas police, according to SSP Asad Chaudhry.

The report said that 33 samples were obtained for the examination. The DNA examination was conducted at Forensic & Molecular Biology Laboratory for DNA Testing in Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro.

MIRPURKHAS: On Saturday, police produced seven rape accused in the ATC but investigation officer failed to submit interim challan, and the victims’ medical report. The court, therefore, ordered the officer to produce the reports on next date of hearing on March 19 along with the accused.

In a widely reported incident of brazen lawlessness, dozens of armed men of Tungri community attacked Mohammad Haneef Rajput village and kidnapped the two victims, a 20-year-old woman and a 14-year-old girl, at gunpoint and then subjected them to gang-rape.

The victims’ parents and relatives rushed to Naukot police to seek their help against the attackers and lodge a case against the kidnappers but the police refused, leaving no option to the victims’ family and villagers but to protest.

They staged a sit-in on the Mirpurkhas-Naukot road and refused to lift the blockade till the victims’ were recovered. Finally, the wide media coverage of the incident jolted the police into action after 24 hours of the incident and they recovered the victims and lodged the case.

The victims disclosed that the armed men had kidnapped them with the help of Nafees Nagar police post in-charge Gulzar Tungri and subjected them to gang-rape. Gulzar Tungri was suspended later on Feb 17 but the DSP escaped any inquiry and was merely replaced and posted again as DSP of Mithi on March 4, said the sources.

Police had detained all the 24 suspects in the wake of mounting pressure, especially after Sindh High Court took notice of the incident. The case was later shifted to antiterrorism court Mirpurkhas from sessions court on the basis of section 6/7 of Anti-Terrorism Act inserted in the FIR by investigation officer after initial inquiry.

A fact-finding committee formed by Sindh chief minister had also found serious negligence on the part of the DSP and the in-charge of Nafees Nagar police post.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2022