PESHAWAR: A missing female schoolteacher belonging to Hindu faith could not be recovered despite passage of around 10 days creating fear among the community members that she might fall prey to forced conversion to any other religion.
“The family of the teacher, Sapna Rani, and the community members are in distress as disappearance of a female is a big issue in our society,” said the chairman of All Pakistan Hindu Rights Movement, Haroon Sarab Diyal.
He stated that while the police had registered the report and had been claiming that investigation was in progress, but so far there was no noteworthy progress in the case. He added that the police had not been interrogating the colleagues of the teacher at the school especially the female members as they apprehended that they (colleagues) might be involved in taking her away because of her faith.
Mr Diyal urged the provincial government, the district administration and police high-ups to pay heed to the issue and help them in recovery of the woman.
He also asked civil society organisations to come forward and help them in highlighting the matter.
“So far we have remained silent but with each passing day our anxiety has been increasing and we are concerned about the safety of the woman,” he said.
He stated that they had now been apprehending that the teacher might be kidnapped for the purpose of forced conversion.
Sapna Rani had gone missing on Dec 21 while returning home from school in the jurisdiction of Paharipura police station.
The police had registered a complaint lodged by one Suresh Kumar, stated to be cousin of the missing teacher.
Ms Rani, 25, is a teacher at a private school, Peshawar Science Academy, situated on GT Road near Ayub Flour Mills.
The complainant stated that she had gone to school in the morning and when she didn’t return home in the afternoon, which was her normal practice, they got worried and approached the police.
The family members claimed that they had no enmity with anyone, but they suspected that she might be kidnapped by someone.