MULTAN, July 11 2005: Police have arrested the five men involved in chopping off the feet of a woman, Razia, on the charge of being promiscuous.

They were identified as Nausher, the father-in-law, Manzoor, her husband, Ali Sher, Muhammad Ramzan and Manzoor alias Mani. Nausher told police that he had chopped off his daughter-in-law’s feet after she was found guilty of having affairs with various men. He accused her of having eloped with other men five times before.

Malik Khuda Baksh, the district police officer, told reporters that the accused would be tried in the Anti-Terrorism Court and would not go unpunished. He said an action would also be taken against the policemen for refusing to register the case on June 24.

“It is a shameful act of cruelty against a woman,” he added. Zulekha, Razia’s sister, told reporters that her family was being given threat calls if they support Razia. Reportedly, a man and some of his relatives cut off his wife’s feet after accusing her of being immoral. The 32-year-old woman have accused her husband, her father and brother-in-laws and two others of the act.

Razia had separated from her husband, but had gone to his house to see her daughter. Police said her father-in-law chained her up and with the help of others took her to a riverbed near Muhammadpur village where they hacked off her feet.

Two days later, her parents filed a missing report in the police station, whereupon police raided the husband’s house and found her. Mr Bakhsh told reporters that no evidence has been found against her alleged immoral character.

However, there remains an ambiguity in both the statements of police and Razia.

Razia told reporters that police arrested the accused at site after receiving information, but police insisted that the charges were filed two days later.
Source: Daily Times
Date:7/11/2005