KASUR: Ganda Singh police booked a gang of 15 suspects and arrested three of them on charges of sodomy, extortion and threatening `hundreds’ of boys and girls and recording their videos in Hussain Khanwala village.

Sheikhupura range Regional Police Officer Sahibzada Shahzad Sultan on Tuesday visited the Ganda Sindh Police Station and assured the villagers of justice. Police have lodged four first information reports (FIRs) on the complaint of as many victim families. Most of other victims were reluctant to speak up.

The gang, according to the FIRs, had recorded videos while sodomising young boys and raping girls and extorted millions of rupees as well as gold jewellery from villagers since 2009. Reportedly, the entire village was aware of the alleged offence but no one dared report it to police as the suspects were allegedly influential.

Suspects would sexually exploit boys, girls, make videos to blackmail their families

According to a villager, a year ago a woman had contacted Ganda Singh police when the suspects had sodomised her young son, but she was forced to reconcile.

Another villager in Hussain Khanwala, who requested anonymity, brought the matter to the fore. He claimed a political figure had tried to occupy 93 kanals of state property in the village when a non-governmental organisation told him they would provide him funds to build a school and sports ground. The piece of land was once bought in an auction by the suspects but a stay order had been issued on its purchase. The suspects allegedly warned the influential man against the land’s occupation after which he decided to encourage victim families to raise their voice.

On July 1, Ganda Singh police registered three FIRs and another on July 6 against 15 suspects under sections 377, 384, 385 and 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code. Five of the suspects were government employees and had obtained a bail.

According to one of the FIRs, the complainant, father of one of the allegedly sodomised boys, said the suspects had in 2011 taken his son to a house where they gave him an intoxicating drink. Later, one of the suspects sexually assaulted him while the others recorded its video. The complainant further claimed the suspects had extorted Rs2 million since 2011 in instalments and threatened to release the video.

He also claimed the suspects had victimised hundreds of boys and girls and exploited them. As a result, villagers were compelled to send their children to other areas for education.

In another FIR, the complainant claimed the suspects had sodomised his 15-year-old brother 15 months back and had been making him steal gold jewellery and cash from his house. His brother had so far given five tolas of gold jewellery and cash worth half a million rupees, the complainant claimed.

Allegedly, such activities of the suspects were not confined to Hussain Khanwala village and they had victimised young boys and girls in urrounding villages as well.

On Saturday evening, hundreds of villagers from Rajiwala, Elowala, Bazeedpur, Kharapar, Choriwala, Nooriwala, Bhadian Usman, Ratnaiwala, Rangaywala, Bhagay, Jora, Nathaywala, and Mahalam gathered outside the Ganda Singh Police Station and demanded justice. They even threatened with torching the houses of the suspects.

However, police held negotiations with the villagers and assured them of justice.

District Police Officer Rai Babar Saeed said an investigation team had been established to probe the matter and no stone would be left unturned in dispensing justice. He said a joint investigation team would be headed by Superintendent of Police (Investigation) Nadeem Abbas.

ELECTROCUTION: Dangling transmission wires claimed a life while injured another here on Tuesday near Sarhali village.

Zafar and Tasawar Ali were sitting on the roof of a truck. When the vehicle reached near Sarhali in Mustafabad, dangling 11kv wires touched them. Zafar died on the spot, while Ali suffered serious injuries and was rushed to DHQ Hospital in a critical condition.

Police were looking into the matter.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2015

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