DERA GHAZI KHAN, Nov 9: A baby girl, born at Darul Aman to a victim of gang-rape, has created problems for the social welfare department, as the mother has refused to own her.

The victim was admitted to Darul Aman on the orders of a civil judge on Nov 5.

The Dajil police in Rajanpur district had registered a case against five brothers, who allegedly raped ‘Z’ on April 15, under Section 10/7/79 of the Hudood Ordinance. The accused were identified as Farooq, Ghafoor, Zahoor, Amanullah and Saifullah, sons of Dur Mohammed. They were arrested in May but granted bail by Lahore High Court’s Multan bench in July.

On Nov 5, the victim’s father appeared before Jampur Civil Judge Majid Karim Farooq in the company of his daughter and sought provision of security, saying that the girl was being threatened with dire consequences by the accused. The judge directed the police to shift the pregnant victim to Darul Aman, where she gave birth to a baby girl on the very same day at 10pm.

The rape victim was shifted to the DHQ hospital in critical condition on the advice of Dr Sajida, where she was infused with three pints of blood donated by the inmates of Darul Aman.

District Officer (Social Welfare) Mohammed Iqbal Tariq told Dawn that the rape victim had refused to adopt the newborn. He added that the department had sought help of the Gehwara in Rawalpindi for the adoption of the baby.

The district officer said he had written to the authorities concerned that the rape victim should be shifted to jail rather than Darul Aman.

Darul Aman Superintendent Riaz Ahmed Mastoi said the rape victim would not be sent to the court of Jampur Additional Civil Judge Abdul Sattar Asghar in connection with the trial on Nov 10, as Dr Sajida Mehboob had said that she could not travel on account of poor health.

According to the FIR, Ms Z’s nikah was solemnized with one Rauf, son of Gul Mohammed Borera, two years ago, but rukhsati had not taken place. The cousins of her husband allegedly broke into her house one day and declared before raping Z that they had come to avenge the illicit relationship of her brother with their sister.

A family member said it was a matter of marriage-in-exchange.