ISLAMABAD/SARGODHA: A minor housemaid, who was hired by a civil judge. was subjected to “severe torture” by her employers at their residence in the federal capital, but the police are reluctant to register a case regarding the torture of the 13-year girl, Dawn has learnt.

The civil judge of the Punjab Judicial Service is working in the Federal Judicial Academy, Islamabad, on deputation for about three years.

Police officers told Dawn that the Sargodha police contacted the officers of the Islamabad police, from the police chief’s office to the relevant SHO, and provided them with all the documents, including the complaint and the medico-legal certificate requesting them to register the case.

The response of the police was “unprofessional and non-serious”.

After the issue was highlighted in the media, the Sargodha police again contacted the capital police to register the case. At this, the police asked for the presence of the complaint at the police station concerned even though they had received relevant documents from the Sargodha police, they added.

Girl moved to Lahore hospital; Sargodha police request Islamabad police to register case

The Sargodha police registered a report after the girl was brought to DHQ Sargodha with injuries. According to the report, the injured girl was brought to hospital at 7:21am in poor condition. “She was working at a house of a judge where she was subjected to torture,” the report added.

According to hospital sources, there were wounds on the head, face, and body of the girl which were reportedly caused by a “blunt weapon” while there were some burn injuries on her body as well.

The mother of the girl said that she would lodge a complaint against the wife of the judicial officer over theft allegations against her daughter. She alleged that the wife would also beat her daughter whenever she asked for the salary or to see her parents.

She alleged that her daughter was “thrashed mercilessly with a blunt as well as a sharp-edged weapon” and was also burned with a hot iron.

Talking to Dawn, Sargodha District Police Officer Mohammad Faisal said the 13-year-old girl hailed from Sargodha. She was hired by the judge through a contractor as a housemaid against a salary of Rs10,000 per month about six months ago, he added.

The DPO quoted the girl’s family as saying that her employer was not happy with her and asked the parents to take her back. Her family came to Islamabad in response to a call from the employer and took her to Sargodha, he added.

On her way back to their native town, the mother spotted injuries on her daughter’s body, SSP Faisal said, adding that her family took her to a local hospital in Sargodha where the hospital demanded a medico-legal certificate (MLC) for her treatment treating it as a case of torture.

In response, the Sargodha police issued an MLC for her treatment, he said, adding that according to the MLC, she had multiple injuries, including two fractures and lacerations. Her wounds were infected apparently due to a delay in treatment. She had bruises and swelling as well.

The doctors advised the family to take her to Lahore due to her head injuries, the DPO said, adding that the Sargodha police arranged a police ambulance to move her to Lahore.

The Lahore police were also approached to facilitate the girl and her family at the hospital, SSP Faisal said, adding that the Sargodha police also arranged the traveling of the family to Lahore in a passenger vehicle.

The Sargodha police also assisted the father of the girl, Manga Khan to write a complaint for the registration of the case, he said, adding that all the relevant documents were sent to Islamabad police for further legal action.

A police officer of the capital police told Dawn that the complaint from the girl’s father was received by the capital police for the registration of the case against her employer at the Humak police station. Police sources said that a case could also registered against the judge for hiring an underage maid and concealing facts.

Complaint by girl’s father

According to the complainant, he sent her daughter Rizwana Bibi, 13, to the house of the civil judge at Zarta Housing Society six months ago to work at a salary of Rs10,000 per month.

On Sunday, he along with her wife, and brother-in-law came to Islamabad to meet her at the house of the judge and found the girl crying and in deteriorated condition.

She had injuries on her head, hands, and legs, besides her teeth were broken and there was swelling around her eyes, lips and nose, the complaint said, adding that her ribs were also fractured and marks of injuries were found on her back.

On inquiry, she told her family that she was subjected to torture by the judge’s wife on a daily basis and the employer also refused to give her food at times. She said she was detained in a room.

Meanwhile, the civil judge told media persons that the girl injured her head by herself. He said that her spouse was investigating her regarding the alleged theft of some gold ornaments. He claimed that the girl was used to eating clay and some marks on her face appeared due to this habit.

Previously, an additional sessions judge (ADSJ) of Islamabad and his spouse were arrested on the same charges. The judge was terminated from service and also imprisoned for three years.

— Malik Asad in Islamabad also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2023