PESHAWAR, Feb 20: A local court on Monday declined to release a victim of a childhood marriage who was forced into prostitution by a gang trafficking in women. The court of a judicial magistrate, who had granted bail to a girl on Saturday, observed that as she had been charged in a case under the Offence of Zina (Enforcement of Hudood) Ordinance, 1979, at Hassanabad. Therefore, she would remain in prison.

The girl, who is about 15-year old and hails from Mardan district, was married to a person named Akber Ali about two years ago. Her husband also has been in prison on charges of killing her parents. She was arrested from a local brothel on Feb 13.

During her stay in the brothel in University Town she was tortured by the owner of the brothel and her daughter. The girl was limping when she was brought to the court by the police as her legs were allegedly burnt with hot iron rods by the woman owner of the brothel.

Recording her statement before the judicial magistrate under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code, she stated that she was only 13 when her parents arranged her marriage. She stated that her husband treated her badly and tortured her on different pretexts.

She stated that her parents started living in Hassanabad, where her mother fell ill. The girl said that she was left in Hassanabad by her husband for looking after her mother more than an year ago. Later, she added, her mother was shifted to a hospital due to bad health.

“While I was alone at home our neighbours Kalam Deen and his wife Maria came there and asked her to go with them,” she claimed. The girl said that she was sold out to a pimp named Shamshad hailing from Shabqadar area who subsequently sold her to Sajida in Peshawar.

She said that the woman had been forcing her into prostitution and used to beat her severely. Finally police arrested her. During her absence from her residence her husband allegedly killed her parents. Meantime, an FIR was registered against her in Hassanabdal for leaving her residence.

The court on Saturday ordered her brother to furnish two sureties of Rs50,000 each for her release and directed that till that time she should be kept in the prison.