FAISALABAD, Aug 1: A rape victim and her mother threatened to commit suicide in front of the offices of the District Police Officer if police failed to arrest the culprits within two days.

Talking to this correspondent here on Thursday, Basheeran Bibi and her minor daughter Maryam (11) said they belonged to a poor family. They said they were passing their lives in starvation due to atrocities of policemen of Nishatabad and Women police stations for they were providing shelter to the culprits.

Maryam said that she was alone at her house on June 16 when neighbours Abdul Majeed, Shahzad and Ashraf came there and overpowered her. Majeed raped her at weapon point in the presence of his accomplices and then escaped after threatening her with dire consequences.

Basheeran Bibi said when she along with her husband Mukhtar Masih reached home, they found Maryam lying senseless on the floor of a room.

She said on her complaint, the Women police station had registered a case against the accused under Hudood Ordinance after conducting formal medical examination of the victim.

They said despite the passage of one-and-a-half-month, local police failed to arrest the culprits as culprits were the influential people.

The culprits had lodged two written complaints against parents and relatives of the rape victim for the registration of false theft cases so that victim’s family could be forced to withdraw the rape case, they said.

They alleged that staff of Nishatabad and Women police stations had become the “spokesperson” of culprits for they were being forced to pardon rapist and his accomplices.

“The investigation officer and his subordinates are demanding bribe for raiding the house of accused persons, but we are not in a position even to take a two time meal”, Basheeran Bibi with tears in her eyes said.

She asked the Punjab governor and IGP to direct local police officials for the immediate arrest of rapist and his accomplices.

RALLY: The Punjab Professors and Lecturers Association, Punjab Government Schools Senior Staff Association, Teachers Association Faisalabad and other bodies of the teaching community announced to stage demonstration and rally here on Friday (today).

The Action Committee on Thursday announced that hundreds of school and college teachers would participate in the demonstration scheduled to be held at the Government MC High School, Allama Iqbal Road. Central leaders of the teaching community would also speak on the occasion.

A protest rally would also be taken out after the demonstration which would march on various city roads, it was also decided in the meeting.

Meanwhile, office-bearers of teachers’ associations castigated the government for using police force against teachers.