SUKKUR: A female polio worker, who had earlier denied reports about sexual assault on her during a vaccination drive in Allah Bakhsh Jakhrani village near Jacobabad three days ago, disclosed before district and sessions court on Friday that she was in fact sexually assaulted by the suspect who was arrested soon after the incident.

The victim had told media persons on Wednesday while reacting to ‘rumours’ about her abduction by two armed men and sexual assault that she had not been raped but robbed of her phone and valuable belongings.

But when she appeared on Friday before the judge, Syed Sharafuddin Shah, who had taken a suo motu notice of the reports about rape with the polio worker, the victim said the suspect Ahmed Jakhrani had sexually assaulted her at gunpoint.

The victim, however, appealed to the judge after recording her statement that she wanted to go to her parents’ home. Hence, the court ordered police to escort her to her parent’s home.

DHO Dr Irshad Sarki submitted a report to the court which revealed that there were signs the polio worker might have been sexually assaulted. The court, however, rejected the report submitted by SHO of Mauladad police station and ordered the official to submit a complete report on Sept 23.

JIT to probe incident

The judge ordered Jacobabad SSP to constitute a Joint Investigating Team (JIT) to conduct a transparent inquiry into the incident and also directed DHO to submit five-year record of the polio worker on Sept 23.

The victim’s lawyers Ms Zubeda Jakhrani, Zahid Hussain Soomro, G.M. Soomro, Syed Ghulam Hussain Shah and others told local journalists outside the court that it was good that the district and sessions judge had taken suo motu notice of the incident because police wanted to spoil the case.

They said that the polio worker had been in police custody since the assault incident and they must have pressurised her into denying reports of sexual assault. Some influential persons of the area wanted to save the assault suspect, they said.

They said that they stood by the victim till she was served justice in this case.

DC, SSP hold presser

Jacobabad Deputy Commissioner Zahoor Ali Mari and SSP Sumair Noor Channa told a press conference at DC office that they had provided help and protection to the victim after the incident.

The DC said that that he had already said she had been sexually assaulted but the victim could not immediately give a clear statement in her traumatized state. “We kept her in a safe house after the incident so that she could have a sense of protection,” he said.

Resultantly, she recorded her statement in the court that she was in fact subjected to sexual assault. She had initially given a different statement probably due to stigma attached to an assault victim in society, he said.

The SSP said that immediately after the incident the victim was shifted to hospital where her samples were taken for DNA test. Police would now incorporate sections of sexual assault in the FIR in the light of her court statement, he said, adding police had already arrested the suspect Ahmed Jakhrani who was locked up at the area’s police station.

He said that on the court’s order a JIT had been formed and DSP City would head it.

JUI-F protest assault on polio worker

A large number of workers of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl took out a procession in protest against alleged sexual assault on the polio worker.

JUI-F district president A.G. Ansari said the district administration wanted to cover up the assault incident but they would not allow it to do so.

He demanded that a judicial committee should be formed to carry out a transparent inquiry into the incident. If the victim was not served justice, they would expand their protest, he warned.

Meanwhile, Sindh Dost Committee convened held a meeting at the office of Pakistan People’s Party-Shaheed Bhutto, which demanded that the main accused should be awarded severe punishment and justice be provided to the victim.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2024