ATTOCK, Oct 12: The district police officer (DPO), Mohammad Hilal Khan, has suspended Jand police SHO and the investigation officer (IO) for harassing parents of a girl allegedly gangraped by some influential criminals of the area.

The victim’s father said they were being harassed by the two police officials at the behest of the criminals, it has been learnt.

Police sources said the father had filed a complaint with the DPO saying that his 14-year-old daughter was abducted by four accused on June 13 at gunpoint. They took took her to Samrial village where they allegedly gangraped her.

In his complaint he said they forced her to marry one of the accused. They forcefully took his daughter’s signature on the Nikahnama (marriage deed) before producing her before the judicial magistrate of Sialkot, he said.

But the court refused to accept the Nikahnama in the absence of her parents saying since she had not attained puberty her father’s presence was essential. The next day, the girl’s father said, the ASI produced his daughter before the judicial magistrate, who sent her to Darul Amaan (safe house) for two days where the ASI kept visiting and threatened her. However, after two days, the magistrate handed her to him (father), the complainant said.

He then filed a complaint with the Jand police SHO for registration of kidnapping-cum-gang rape case against the accused.

Ironically, the SHO forwarded his complaint to the same investigation officer, who instead of taking action against the accused, summoned the girl’s father and other family members for investigation and demanded bribe, he said. The DPO suspended both the police officials and asked them to report to the district police lines, the sources added.—Correspondent