KARACHI, June 23: Abdul Quddoos Memon, Judicial Magistrate, Malir, will record the statements of two minor girls, who were allegedly sexually abused by a man, on Monday.

Accused Raza Khan, son of Azam Khan, who lived in Sachal police limits, had been remanded in police custody till June 24 by the court on Friday last. During the proceedings, counsel for the accused had insisted on taking the statements of the minor girls, but their counsel, a lawyer from the Lawyers for Human Rights & Legal Aid (LHRLA), opposed it and informed the court that one of the girls was in hospital as she had been inflicted severe injuries, and the other was too scared to give any statement.

The girls, aged nine and five years, are daughters of Javed, who has divorced his wife. The elder daughter lived with the father and the younger one with the mother in her maternal grandfather’s house in Baldia Town.

The grandfather lodged a report at the area police station about the disappearance of his elder granddaughter a month ago. During the search, he came to know that Raza Khan had illegally detained her granddaughter in Mohammed Khan goth in Gulshan Town area. He informed the area councillor about it, and they reported the matter to the Sachal police.

The Sachal police raided the suspected house where the accused had confined both the girls.

According to police, accused Raza Khan physically and sexually abused both the girls. He used to burn them with cigarettes and cut their skin with a knife or a dagger.

Police sent the girls to the medicolegal section at Civil Hospital for medical checkup. The medical report confirmed that severe torture was perpetrated on the girls and they were sexually abused also.

The younger girl was admitted to the gynae ward of Civil Hospital. Police asked the hospital authorities to allow her appear in the court to record her statement, but doctors refused to do so as she was not in a position to give a statement.

On the instructions of Zia Ahmed Awan, the president of the LHRLA, a team of lawyers met the girl, her mother and a lady medicolegal officer and inquired about the girl’s condition. The lady doctor told them that both the girls were subjected to brutal physical and sexual torture and the younger girl was lying in the hospital in serious condition.

The Sachal police have arrested Javed. The accused has been lodged in Gulshan police station as there is no lockup at Sachal police station.

Police’s investigations revealed that Javed, who used to sell drinking water to passengers, and accused Raza Khan developed friendship, and later the accused frequently visited his house in Pirabad, Banaras. The accused created circumstances resulting in divorce to Javed’s wife. After Javed divorced his wife, he lived with the accused who, in his absence, tried to rape his elder daughter.

She complained about it to her father who raised objection, but the accused, pointing a pistol at him, forcibly took the girl with him. About a month ago, the accused kidnapped her younger sister also. He used to abuse both the girls physically and sexually.

Further investigations are under way.—PPI