LAHORE: Punjab Prosecutor General Syed Farhad Ali Shah on Thursday admonished police investigators for ignoring provisions of anti-rape law in the probe into the murder case of a minor girl employed as a home help in Defence-C area.

Declaring the minor girl’s murder a high-profile case, the prosecutor general (PG) summoned the investigating officer (IO) and the in-charge of the investigation, along with the records, said a statement.

During the briefing, the IO informed the PG that the suspects tortured the minor domestic worker to death, buried her body, and falsely filed an FIR accusing her of theft.

Mr Shah asked the investigators as to why the provisions of the Anti-Rape Act, 2021 had not been applied to the case, and why the investigation had not been conducted by the specialised unit.

As the IO failed to provide a satisfactory explanation, prosecutor expressed his displeasure over the irresponsible and flawed investigation by the police.

He reprimanded them and issued a line of inquiry, instructing the SP investigation to appear on Oct 28 after rectifying the shortcomings.

Mr Shah also issued a letter to the Lahore district public prosecutor to ensure strict implementation of the guidelines issued by the prosecutor general’s office and to provide full legal assistance to the IO in the case.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2024