LAHORE, April 19: ‘Under pressure’ from police to withdraw the gang-rape case of his daughter, a man attempted self-immolation here on Tuesday. Accompanied by his wife and daughter, Asghar Bhatti doused himself with kerosene oil outside the Lahore Press Club and was about to torch himself when some passersby and police present there foiled his bid.

Chief minister’s complaint cell incharge Haji Nawaz Khokhar arrived at the scene after getting information and took the family with him. “We will look into the matter and ensure justice,” he said.

Mr Bhatti told reporters that his daughter was kidnapped and gang-raped by three men. He alleged two police officials of Sialkot Civil Lines police, when contacted, also assaulted his daughter. “Now the police are forcing me to reach a compromise with the accused police officials.”

Sialkot Nazim Mian Naeem Javed who was approached by Dawn said the case was in his knowledge. “I had taken it up but the district police is not listening to me,” he said.

Javed said a medical examination had proved that the girl had been gangraped but the DPO was protecting his subordinates. “It is really a brutal act. More brutal is the police conduct.”

There was no response from the DPO office and his house when Dawn tried to contact him by telephone to seek his comments. However, a police source said the DPO had suspended Civil Lines SHO Rana Basharat from service for pressing the family to strike a deal with the accused.

Other accused except for the policemen had also been arrested on his orders and sent to jail, the source said.

Ms Ayan Ali, a volunteer from Sialkot who was the first to take up the case, alleged that the police chief had got a case registered against her just for favouring the rape victim.

Ms Ali said the rape victim used to go to college by foot to attend her second year classes. Muhammad Naveed, a relative, would chase her to lure her but she would not submit.

On February 22, Ms Ali said Naveed together with Fayaz Bhatti and Azam Bhatti abducted the girl on her way to the college and took her to a brothel being run allegedly by Shabbana Pathani. She said the accused kept the girl at the brothel for 37 days and assaulted her repeatedly.

On learning about her whereabouts, Ms Ali said she together with the family visited the police and recovered the victim from the brothel. She said the girl was given in the custody of SI Khalid Bhatti who and another unidentified policeman assaulted her instead of extending any help.