MULTAN, Oct 30: Police could not arrange medical examination of a rape victim even two days after the case was reported to it. Prayer Leader Hafiz Muhammad Idrees, resident of Beroon Lohari Gate, his two brothers Muhammad Arif and Muhammad Asif and friend Muhammad Khalid Qureshi had allegedly raped a girl here on Saturday. The accused are still at large.

The 25 years old complainant from Delhi Gate told police that she was alone in her house when Idrees, his two brothers and a friend entered her house after breaking the lock and took turns at gunpoint. The girl was shifted to the Nishter Hospital in `critical’ state.

The Lohari Gate police registered the case under section 10-07-79 and 452 and started investigation.

The rape victim, a master’s in Islamiat, told Dawn that Khalid Qureshi tied her hands while Hafiz Idrees gave her some drugged drink forcibly.

“I cried for mercy and asked them to spare me but they didn’t”.

She said the father of Hafiz Muhammad Idrees was an employee of her uncle. She was engaged with Idrees on Feb 19, 2005 but the engagement was cancelled some 10 days before their marriage on June 23 last when the mother of the accused demanded a motorcycle, a house and some costly gold ornaments in dowry.”

Hafiz Idrees, who married another girl on June 23, was however furious over of the cancellation of the engagement and “did try to kill me. First he entered our house on July 17 last but could not succeed. He again entered our house on July 28 but I jumped from the upper storey and sustained injuries.”

Police had registered a case under section 452/354 on Aug 20 and arrested the accused who was released from jail after a month.

Hajira Bibi, the mother of victim, said that because of her illness, poverty and Ramzan she could not follow the case.

Mother of accused Hafiz Muhammad Idrees said that her sons were innocent. She said the girl and her mother had demanded money from them which resulted in the cancellation of engagement.

Muhammad Usman, a neighbour, Said Idrees and his brothers were innocent and that the girl and her mother had concocted the entire episode out of the engagement cancellation grudge.

Investigation officer Allah Ditta said that the police were conducting raids to arrest the accused. He said the medical examination of the girl would be conducted.

The girl lives with her mother alone as her father died long ago. — SHAKEEL AHMAD