PESHAWAR, Feb 1: A station house officer (SHO) eliminated most of the proof against three accused who allegedly gang-raped a young girl and her mother during a robbery in the Kankola village of Daudzai in the outskirts of Peshawar city.
The Daudzai police station had registered a case on the orders of Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Habib-ur-Rehman two months after the crime. But the medical evidence has been destroyed to prove the case in a court of law under the Hudood Ordinance, Dawn has learnt.
Hussain Khan claimed that three criminals entered his house in the Kankola village of Daudzai on the cusp of Nov 26 and Nov 27 and after collecting valuables from the house, gang-raped his wife and young daughter.
Hussain Khan went to the police station the next morning and narrated his ordeal in front of the then SHO Daudzai, Badiuz Zaman, and requested him to register a case and arrest the criminals. But the SHO ignored his pleas and did not register a case.
Sources said that Hussain Khan later went to the Capital City Police and requested some senior officials to register the case but they also did not take any action.
Last week, he approached the city police chief, Habib-ur-Rehman, who took immediate action and ordered the registration of an FIR against the assailants on the charges of robbery and Hudood Ordinance.
The city police chief ordered suspension of SHO Daudzai Badiuz Zaman and as punishment demoted him from sub-inspector to assistant sub-inspector. He also issued a charge-sheet against the police official for his removal from service.
A doctor in the Forensic Department of Khyber Medical College, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: “It is very important to bring a rape victim for medical examination within 24 hours.” He added that 48 hours was the maximum period to get a swab from the victim for medical examination, otherwise it was hard to present a medical report as evidence in the court of law for the culprits’ punishment under the Hudood Ordinance.
He said even the bruises received by victims in gang-rape cases normally healed up within two months. He said: “Hymen rupture in the case of an unmarried girl is not proof that a criminal assault has been committed.”
The police never took the young girl and her mother to the Forensic Department for a medical examination, despite their case having been registered under the Hudood Ordinance.
Residents of Kankola told Dawn that Hussain Khan’s family had moved to some other location. It could not be confirmed whether they moved in fear of being defamed or after receiving threats from the unknown culprits. The CCPO said: “Yes, most of the evidences of gang-rape have been eliminated due to the criminal inefficiency of the SHO. Hussain Khan approached me very late otherwise I would have been able to provide justice to the family on time.” But he assured the family that justice would be provided to them.
He said that he had asked acting SSP (investigation) Qudrat Ullah to initiate an inquiry against the former SHO. Senior Superintendent of Police (operation) Saeed Khan Wazir said: “We have arrested one Toti on suspicion in the case.” He avoided providing further details.