LARKANA: A woman has accused her husband of gambling away their 13-year-old daughter to his friend who, she claims, took her away forcibly six months ago and has kept her in illegal detention since then.

Ms Sonari alias Raheema Khatyan of Chodha village said in an application filed on Thursday in the court of sessions judge that her husband Bahram Ali wagered their daughter Sultana, 13, in a gamble with his friend Talib about six months ago and lost her to Talib.

Talib then forcibly took away Sultana to his village, when she protested her husband took her away to Rohri and confined her in an abandoned house owned by Talib, she said.

Bahram kept pressuring her to accept the fact that he had gambled away their daughter who could not return but she refused on which he declared her kari on Jan 17 and then set her free to return to her home in Chodha village the same day, she said.

Later, she decided to move the court where her petition came up for hearing on Feb 19.

She said that her daughter had been kept in illegal detention in a house near Dhamrah village and Talib was maltreating her. She feared her daughter might get killed at the hands of her captors.

She prayed the court to order police to recover her and produce her in the court besides providing protection and taking legal action against her husband Bahram and his friend Talib.

After hearing the applicant’s counsel the court asked the supervising investigation officer of Dhamrah, Jan Muhammad Samtio, what the police had done so far.

The police official replied that they had searched the house pointed out by the applicant but failed to find the girl there. They would continue efforts to recover her, he said.

The court then ordered the DPO of Larkana to produce the illegally confined girl in the court on next date of hearing on Feb 23.

Ms Sonari immediately filed another application in the court, seeking protection and shelter after she noticed some people waiting for her outside the court.

She told the judge that she feared that she would be kidnapped and then killed.

The judge immediately sent for police and directed them to take her safely wherever she wanted to go, provide her full security and produce her in court on next date of hearing.
Source: Dawn
Date:2/21/2009