LAHORE: A district and sessions court granted interim bail to the wife of a civil judge accused of battering her maid, leaving her in critical condition. The case was heard before Additional District and Sessions Judge Dr. Abida Sajid, who granted the accused interim bail till August 7 against a surety bond of Rs100,000. The court directed her to cooperate with the investigation and appear before Additional District and Sessions Judge Farrukh Farid for the next hearing.
In her application for bail, the accused termed the defendant’s case false and denied any physical violence on her. She also claimed that Rizwana was not a child and was over 17 years old. Maintaining her innocence, she insisted that she was being maligned as part of a slander campaign against her husband.
Rizwana, a minor housemaid employed by the civil judge, was brought to the District Headquarters Hospital in Sargodha in critical condition reportedly with wounds on her face, head, and body that were said to have been caused by a “blunt weapon”. The girl also bore burn marks on her body. She was later shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at the Lahore General Hospital, with doctors fearing for the teen’s life.
The Principal of Ameeruddin Medical College/Lahore General Hospital, Prof Al-Fareed Zafar, called an emergency meeting of the Special Medical Board, which conducted a thorough medical examination of Rizwana. They believe the wounds were old, due to which the infection in blood had increased, and complications affected some organs of the body.
Rizwana has been diagnosed with sepsis. She had an infection in her lungs which was affecting her breathing. She had an infection in one lung and blood clots in the other, which was causing her oxygen saturation to decrease.
In a related development, Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi phoned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss the distressing incident of Rizwana’s brutal torture by a judge’s wife in Islamabad. During the conversation, Naqvi conveyed an urgent appeal for justice and assistance made by Rizwana’s parents. He also provided updates on Rizwana’s health and ongoing treatment.
Prime Minister Sharif was deeply moved by the gravity of the situation and promptly assured the oppressed family of all possible assistance. He pledged to expedite the process of delivering justice to Rizwana and her family.
Source: The News
