HYDERABAD, Aug 3: The civil judge and judicial magistrate, Mr Wazir Hussain Khoso, on Tuesday granted bail to seven women, who had escaped from the Hyderabad Darul Aman and had been detained in Nawabshah , for Rs20,000 each in a case registered against them at the Qasimabad police station.

The Sindh Task Force of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan had engaged advocate Zahoor A. Baloch to represent the women, Zahida Kalohi, Mansab Bibi, Basri, Hooran, Parveen, Shabbiran and her sister Masooda.

The women informed the court about their ordeal. They were released from police custody after the sureties were deposited. The HRCP is sending them to Panah, a shelter for destitute women.

The women had been brought to Hyderabad from Nawabshah by Qasimabad investigation police in-charge Lal Bux Lashari. Talking to journalists after their release, the women accused Darul Aman staff - they named Madam Iqbal Shafi, Mrs Irshad Baloch, instructor Salma, clerk Ameer Arain and maidservant Zarina - of subjecting them to mental torture and coercion.

They said they had been forced to work for long hours. Replying to a question, the women maintained that they had not said anything about their predicament for fear of the Darul Aman personnel.

They said whenever any government functionary's visit to the Darul Aman was scheduled, they were told in advance not to speak against the administration, and were threatened with consequences if they did not keep quite.

Zahida, who is fighting a divorce case in a court, said they had been taken outside Darul Aman several times, without being told where they were being taken to and for what purpose.

The women accused the staff of exploiting them and forcing them into prostitution. Basri, wife of Mohammad Jaskani Sujawal, who claimed to be six months pregnant, said she had been forcibly sent outside Darul Aman on more than five occasions, adding that each time Madam Shafi told her not to speak against her or other staff.

She also has filed a divorce case in a court. Parveen, a resident of Karachi, said she had lied before the court that she was married to one Asghar, adding that she was unmarried.

She said she had been subjected to sexual assault within and outside Darul Aman and she could not identify her tormentors. Shabbiran, a resident of Dadu, called for arrest of one Bashir Punjabi who, she said, was responsible for her predicament and he was the first man to assault her.

She said once her friend, Reshma had taken her to the shrine of Qalandar Lal Shahbaz. She said Reshma was in league with Shabbir Punjabi and his friends Dawood Khokhar and Khadim Jamali, who gave her some intoxicant and she fell unconscious.

She said she found herself in Kotri where she had been raped by Shabbir Punjabi. She said she had managed to reach her home but her uncle, Gulsher, and other community members declared her a kari.

She said for fear of her life, she and her sister, Maqsooda, left their home and reached Darul Aman. She said she had undergone an abortion. She called for prosecution of Shabbir Punjabi.

The Darul Aman administration has denied the charges. An inquiry team, constituted by the Sindh chief minister, is scheduled to visit Darul Aman on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the district and sessions judge issued notices on Tuesday to the district nazim, DCO, Qasimabad taluka nazim, Darul Aman in-charge and the SHO and TPO of Qasimabad on a human rights application filed by advocate Ayaz Latif Palijo.

Mr Palijo cited press reports on the incident. He said the women claimed to have been maltreated and assaulted by the Darul Aman officials. He stated that unhygienic food was being provided to inmates due to which they suffered from physical and mental ailments. The court fixed Aug 6 for hearing.