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Published 22 Apr, 2014 05:56am

CJ rejects police report in immolation case

LAHORE: Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani rejected on Monday a police report on a case relating to self-immolation by a girl in Muzaffargarh and directed the Multan district and sessions judge to hold an inquiry into the case.

The report, submitted by Additional Inspector General of Punjab Khaliq Dad Malik and the Muzaffargarh district police officer, said Amina had not been raped.

She fabricated a story to settle scores with her family’s rivals, it alleged.

The case was taken up by a three-judge bench at the Lahore registry of the Supreme Court.

Chief Justice Jillani expressed displeasure over the report and wondered how a girl could set herself on fire only to settle scores with opponents.

Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, a member of the bench, said police usually declared culprits innocent in such cases.

He said police could have stated in the report that no girl named Amina had ever existed and no such incident taken place.

During the hearing, Justice Jillani offered condolences to Nizam Bibi, mother of Amina, in Seraiki language and assured her that the suspects would not escape the law.

When the woman expressed distrust in the Muzaffargarh sessions judge, the chief justice entrusted the inquiry to the Multan district and sessions judge.

The court disposed of the suo motu notice and directed the sessions judge to submit a report in six weeks.

The girl had set herself ablaze outside a police station in Muzaffargarh’s Bait Mir Hazar area in protest against a police report which helped her alleged rapist obtain bail.

She died in a hospital in Multan the following day.

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