KARACHI: A sessions court reissued on Tuesday bailable warrants for the arrest of the husband of a rape victim and other prosecution witnesses in a case pertaining to the gang-rape of an 18-year-old woman on the premises of Mazar-i-Quaid.

The court had issued a number of notices and warrants directing the prosecution witnesses to appear in court to record their testimonies. However, they did not appear.

On Tuesday when the case came up for hearing before the Additional District and Sessions Judge (east), Sanaullah Ghori, the prosecution witnesses were found absent. The judge re-issued their bailable warrants for March 2 and directed the police to produce the witnesses including the victim’s husband before him on the next date of hearing.

According to the prosecution, an 18-year-old woman was subjected to sexual assault after being kidnapped on the premises of the Mazar by around five unknown men on the night of March 15, 2008 and was found in an unstable condition outside the mausoleum on March 17, 2008.

On March 20, the police had arrested an assistant manager security of the mausoleum for his alleged involvement in the case. Later, on April 24 an accountant and a personal assistant to the resident engineer of the Quaid-i-Azam Management Board were arrested following the receipt of the DNA report that confirmed their involvement in the case. All the suspects were remanded in judicial custody.

A case (FIR50/08) was registered at Brigade police station under Section 365-B of the Pakistan Penal Code (the section was inserted through the Protection of Women Act, 2006) on the complaint of the victim’s father.
Source: Dawn
Date:2/18/2009