BAHAWALNAGAR: A mother of two children, along with dozens of other residents of Chak 11 Ford Wah, on Sunday staged a demonstration against Bakhshan Khan police, alleging they sided with her influential “rapist” and disposed of her complaint as fake despite the initial medical report confirmed rape, demanding inspector general of police to order an impartial inquiry into the incident.

The complainant ‘N’, flanked by other protesters from the village chanted slogans against the police demanding justice.

She told the media persons that she had been divorced by her husband and was living in a house with her two minor children in the village.

She said on the night of December 21, 2020, an influential landlord and resident of the same village, barged in her house when she was asleep with her children.She alleged the suspect raped her at gunpoint and when locals gathered there after hearing her screams, he fled the scene, brandishing a weapon.

According to N, the locals immediately called on emergency helpline 15 and informed Bakhshan Khan police about the incident, but were told to file a written complaint in the morning.

The next day a written complaint was filed with the police.

She regretted that instead of registering the case the officials callously turned her out of the police station, saying she was leveling a false allegation against the suspect.

She alleged that despite her insistence, the police did not get conducted her medical examination. She said that she had to move court and after 22 days the police finally registered an FIR on January 12, 2021 on its order.

She alleged that police did not record her statement and despite the medical report confirming rape, the police closed the case on January 29, terming it a fake allegation.

‘N’ alleged that emboldened by the police inaction, the suspect, along with his accomplices, subjected her to torture and attempted to set her on fire after dousing her with petrol. She said that she was rescued in the nick of time by some locals.

She lamented that despite such blatant acts of the suspect, the police refused to register a case against him and others.

She said now the suspect was threatening her with dire consequences if she refused to leave the village.

Some village residents in the protest regretted that the case was closed, and said they had even submitted an affidavit with the police, confirming the incident.

About the police’s partiality during the investigation, they said the complainant would be told to sit on the ground, while the suspect and those accompanying him were seated in chairs.

Investigating Officer Assistant Sub Inspector Bushra Ameer told Dawn that samples of the complainants in rape cases needed to be checked by the Punjab Forensic Science Agency’s laboratory.

She added that the PFSA lab in this case refused to confirm the rape as the samples had expired because of the delay in medical examination.

She alleged that the complainant, not the police, was responsible for this delay.

The IO said that after the FIR was registered, first she heard both parties and then the SP (investigation) also gave them a hearing.

She claimed that as per police investigation a row between two women was at the core of the matter, saying the case was closed on the basis of the SP’s comments. She claimed the investigation was conducted on merit.

Bakhshan Khan police station in charge Sub Inspector Abdul Razzaq claimed the complainant and the suspect had a dispute over ownership of a five-marla house. He alleged that ‘N’ leveled false rape allegations against the suspect to have an edge over him in the dispute.

The SHO claimed the allegation that the suspect attempted to burn the woman was also false, saying it was just a fight between the two parties in which persons from both sides suffered minor injuries.

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2021