By Shakeel Anjum

RAWALPINDI: The police on Wednesday picked the 13-year-old seventh class student, Natasha, from her house in village Labb Thatha and pressured her to change her statement against the police personnel involved in raping her in the Wah Cantonment police station.

However, the Rawalpindi police authorities, on the intervention of the Punjab government, have decided to register a criminal case under Section 344 PPC and 155/D of Police Order against the station house officer (SHO) Wah Cantonment police station Sajid Gondal, accused Sub-inspector Mohammad Mumtaz and two constables for keeping her in illegal confinement. The rape case would be registered after confirmation of the report by the medical board.

The accused police personnel, including the SHO, were, however, arrested subsequently and would be produced before the court of law today (Thursday). Earlier, a police party picked the girl from her house at 8 am on Wednesday and took her to Rawalpindi, police sources told The News.

“The people engaged in grilling the victim used third-degree tactics to pressure her but she refused to record any statement,” the sources disclosed, adding: “She was scared and was unable even to utter a single word.” The sources said Natasha was sent back to her house at about 8 pm after remaining in police custody for 12 hours. The girl was gang-raped for 21 days by the officials of the Wah Cantonment police station.
Source: The News
Date:5/20/2010