A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Tuesday granted pre-arrest bail to a woman — the wife of a civil judge — in a case pertaining to the alleged torture of an underage domestic help in the capital.

Somia Asim, the suspect, was booked after she was accused of severely torturing a teenage maid, who was moved to the Lahore General Hospital in critical condition on July 24.

According to the girl’s medico-legal certificate (MLC), she had “laceration on head from vertex, on forehead, right side above eyebrow, swollen upper lips, laceration under upper lip on right side, broken left incisor and left canine, laceration on check, nose bleed, laceration on left side of vertex, multiple bruises on lower leg, fracture on right forearm, swollen left and right eyelids, bruise on right skull, laceration on back, multiple bruises on back and attempt on strangulation.”

After showing reluctance, Islamabad police had registered a first information report in the case on July 26. Initially, the police booked the judge’s wife for criminal intimidation and wrongful confinement, without mentioning physical torture in the FIR. However, eight more sections — including murder — were added to the FIR a day earlier.

On July 28, the Lahore High Court had granted protective bail to the judge’s wife till August 1.

Today, Somia appeared before the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Dr Abida Sajjad for the confirmation of her bail.

At the outset of the hearing, the judge asked the petitioner to submit her identity card in court. She then approved Somia’s bail till Aug 7 against surety bonds worth Rs100,000.

ADSJ Sajjad, who served as the duty judge during today’s proceeding, instructed Somia to appear before the court of ADSJ Farrukh Farid at the next hearing.

After the hearing concluded, the Islamabad police said the court had directed the suspect to join the investigation into the case.

It said the probe into the incident would be conducted on legal grounds and merit. “The provisions of all the crimes committed will be included in the case,” the police added.

CM Naqvi updates PM on teenager’s health

Meanwhile, in a telephone call today, Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi updated Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the teenager’s condition.

According to state broadcaster Radio Pakistan, Naqvi apprised the premier about the victim’s medication and health.

A day earlier, Lahore General Hospital Executive Prof Al-fareed Zafar had declared the next 48 hours highly crucial for the girl, saying the special board of senior doctors treating the girl feared that she may need ventilator support.

He had told Dawn that the girl’s mother had suspected that Rizwana had been administered poison by her employer(s) during domestic violence in Islamabad. At this, the doctors sent blood and other samples of the girl to the laboratory.

Prof Zafar had said an emergency meeting of the special medical board was called when the duty doctors informed him about the deteriorating condition of the girl.

He also said that girl had a severe infection in one lung and blood clots in the other and her saturation level was constantly decreasing.

On Monday, investigators also told Dawn that a police team was with the injured maid in Lahore and was in contact with the girl’s family and the doctors of the hospital where she was admitted.

The team will bring the girl to Islamabad on the doctors’ advice after her condition stabilises, they added.

The case

The case was registered at the Humak police station in response to the complaint from the girl’s father, a labourer by profession. According to the FIR, he sent his daughter to the house of the judge at Zartaj Housing Society through an acquaint against Rs10,000 per month salary.

On July 23, he along with his wife and brother-in-law came to the judge’s house to meet his daughter and found her injured and weeping in a room, it added.

They found infected injuries on his head besides wounds all around the face, both arms and legs, the FIR said, adding her tooth was also found broken and swilling on both lips and eyes.

“Her ribs were also found broken, and injuries were found on her back. Marks of strangulation were also found around her neck.”

When asked, she told her family that the judge’s wife used to torture and beat her with batons and spoons daily and did not provide her with dinner.

The FIR said the girl was detained in a room since her arrival at the house. Later, the family took her to the Sargodha DHQ hospital where the girl’s condition deteriorated and was then referred to Lahore.