KARACHI, July 7: Additional district and sessions judge-IV (East) Aftab Ahmed Bughio on Monday issued show-cause notice through the SSP (Investigation) to the investigation officer of a gang-rape case for not producing the police file before the court.

An 18-year-old woman, who was on a visit to the Quaid-i-Azam mausoleum along with her family members, was abducted and gang-raped on March 15. She was found lying in an unstable condition near the Mazar vicinity on March 17.

An assistant manager of the mausoleum’s security staff was arrested on March 20 for his alleged involvement in the case. Four days later, an accountant of the Quaid-i-Azam Mazar Mana-gement Board and the PA to its resident engineer were also booked as suspects following receipt of the DNA report that confirmed their involvement in the gang-rape. All the suspects have been remanded in jail custody.

The court had to defer indictment of the suspects again due to absence of the investigation officer, Sabir Hussain, from Monday’s proceedings. The next date for the hearing has been fixed as July 19.

Earlier, the court had issued several notices to the IO asking him to appear in the court and submit the police file of the case. However, he has so far failed to comply with the order.

The case (FIR No.50/08) was registered at the Brigade police station on the complaint of the victim’s father.

According to the charge-sheet, the woman hailed from Lodhran and was accompanying her family on a visit to the mausoleum. She was abducted by the suspects when a power breakdown occurred while her husband had left the Mazar vicinity to bring in some other members of the family who were waiting outside in a bus. The suspects took her to a room where she was subjected to gang-rape.

Warrants out for policemen

The court of judicial magistrate (East) Naheed Jabbar on Monday issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of an assistant sub-inspector (ASI), Jamshed Mehmood and bailable warrants for the arrest of another ASI, Bux Rehman, and prosecution witnesses for not appearing in the court to testify in a dacoity case.

Adjourning the hearing of the case till July 27, the court directed superior authorities of the policemen to ensure presence of the ASIs and the witnesses in the court on next date of hearing.

The dacoity suspects, Faiz Mohammad Shah and Yaqoob Ali, were arrested on Jan 4, 2007 in the limits of the Gulistan-i-Jauhar police station.

However, the policemen and prosecution witnesses have not been appearing in the court to testify in the case despite issuance of several notices and reminders.

The same court also issued bailable warrants for the arrest of ASIs Arif Bangash and Umer Sheikh for not appearing in the court to record their statements in a case registered against a suspect, Mohammad Tahir, at the Zaman Town police station under the Arms Ordinance.

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