HYDERABAD, Dec 11: The Supreme Court has directed the district and sessions judge, Hyderabad, to finalise the inquiry into Nadra Parveen gang rape case by December 13, but the applicant's counsel requested the court to seek more time from the apex court for completion of the inquiry.

The District and Sessions Judge, Zafar Ahmed Khan Sherwani, is holding an inquiry into the case of Nadra Parveen on the directives of the apex court as the court took suo motu notice of appeal of the woman, allegedly subjected to criminal assault twice in February by five people at the alleged instance of the Taluka Nazim Kunri, Mohammad Jam Memon.

According to Aslam Bhatti, advocate, who is appointed counsel for Nadra Parveen, by the sessions judge, Hyderabad, Mr.Zafar Ahmed Khan Sherwani, told media men that he had also received a communication, directing the tribunal to complete the inquiry by December 13 and submit a report before the Supreme Court because the same case was fixed for hearing on December 15.

He said that such a communication was also sent to the sessions judge, the victim Nadra Parveen through DPO of Umerkot, the Taluka Nazim Kunri and the Advocate General (AG) Sindh directing them to appear before the court in person.

The victim’s lawyer said that it was not possible to complete the inquiry by December 13 a list of 23 more prosecution witnesses are yet to be submitted before the court who will subsequently be cross-examined by the defence counsel. On Monday the three PWs (prosecution witnesses) Shahabuddin Murtaza, Warda Murtaza and Mohammad Khalid were to be cross-examined by the defence counsel Hidayatullah Abbasi, advocate, but since the judge was holding a meeting with lower court judges, it could not be held on Tuesday.

The counsel said that he would file statements of respondents including the Taluka Nazim, Mohammad Jam Memon after statements of prosecution witnesses (PWs) are filed.

The Additional Advocate General (AAG) Sindh, Mr.Masood A.Noorani, also appeared on behalf of the Advocate General Sindh, along with the DPO of Umerkot, Lal Mohammad Abro and other police officers, who would also file their statements before the tribunal.

In his affidavit filed earlier while referring to February 1 incident when the police entered into the applicant's house, PW Shahab Murtaza, Parveen's son, said that he was sleeping when police broke into the house at 10.30 pm and he identified ASI Musadaq of the police station besides other policemen. Police broke open the locks of almirahs and also took away motorcycle of my father. “I and my father were asked to sit in the police mobile while Khalid was threatened not to disclose incident to anyone. We were beaten in police station and I was hanged upside down”, he alleged.

Warda Murtaza, Parveen's daughter, stated that on February 10 five people Iqbal Memon, Safdar, Khalid Mehmood, Rizwan and Asif Ali came to their home and on seeing them “we ran towards the adjacent room and locked it from inside. I heard cries of my mother and sound of beating and my mother was imploring accused for leaving her in the name of Allah”, she said and added that after about one minute, the culprits fled and her mother was weeping while no male member was present at that time.

“Then, the culprits threatened us that if we disclosed facts, me and my sisters would face similar consequences”, she said. She disclosed that on February 17 three people Safdar, Khalid Mehmood and Rizwan entered her house and, on their request my mother accompanied them. “She returned after about 75 minutes. Her condition was miserable as she was weeping”, she said.

A neighbour, Mohammad Khalid deposed that on February 1 when he visited Parveen's residence he found one policeman with a gun and two other policemen. He said that ASI Musadaq and other policemen took away Ghulam Murtaza and Shahab to Kunri police station in a police mobile. He added that Nadra disclosed that culprits committed a robbery and took away Rs150,000 cash, gold and silver ornaments and the motorcycle.

He said in last year's local bodies elections, Nadra Parveen acted as polling agent of Sufi Shaukat Ali on August 18 at PS Kunri Memon, in village of Jam Memo, where Nadra had quarrelled with the bogus voters. “Jam Memon came there and threaten her of dire consequences and to teach her a lesson”, he said.