ISLAMABAD: An additional district and sessions judge (ADSJ) on Monday dismissed the pre-arrest bail application filed by Somia Asim, wife of a civil judge, in a case pertaining to the torture of teenage maid Rizwana Bibi in Islamabad.

Following the dismissal of the bail application, the order regarding interim bail also lapsed. Subsequently, the police arrested Somia Asim from the premises of the court.

ADSJ Farrukh Fareed Baloch directed the investigation officer to “make further investigation strictly on merits.” During the course of arguments, the counsel representing Somia termed the case false and baseless and accused the father of the victim of lodging the case to extort money from the judge’s family.

The court noted that the maid was an underage employee and was subjected to torture which has apparently been supported by the MLC. The offences invoked against the accused were non-bailable. While dismissing the bail petition the court ruled that “there is no logic to intervene in the investigative process” and directed the investigation officer to conduct probe “strictly on merit”.

Court asks police to probe case on merit

Somia was seeking bail in the case of alleged torture of the maid which surfaced after the girl’s family came to meet her at the judge’s house on July 23 and found out that their daughter was subjected to severe torture. She was admitted to a hospital in her native town but doctors moved her to Lahore in light of her severe condition.

In the complaint, her father said that he sent 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.

When he along with his wife, and brother-in-law came to Islamabad to meet her at the house of the judge and they found the girl crying and in a 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.

The civil judge and his wife however told media persons that the girl injured her head by herself.

Subsequently, the Sargodha police approached the Islamabad police and provided them with the MLC and a complaint for registration of the case. However, the police were initially reluctant and the case was registered only after it was highlighted in the media.

They had registered the case under sections 506 and 342 on July 25 in response to the complaint lodged by her father. Later, more sections of the PPC were added to the case.

Last week, a five-member Special Joint Investigation Team (SJIT) was constituted to probe the torture case of a 13-year-old maid registered against her employer, wife of a civil judge.

DIG Operations Shahzad Nadeem Bukhari was nominated as the convener of the team with SSP Investigation Rukhsar Mehdi and SSP Counter-Terrorism Department Yasir Afridi and others as its members.

Meanwhile, three more police officials were included in the Special Joint Investigation Team (SJIT) constituted to probe the housemaid torture case.

Police officers told Dawn that a deputy superintendent of police, an inspector and sub-inspector, who is also the investigating officer in the case, were included in the investigation team.

Earlier, the capital police chief had constituted a five-member Special Joint Investigation Team. The three new members were included after an order was issued, which stated that investigating officers and the convener of the investigation team may co-opt for other members from the capital police to assist the SJIT in collecting evidence on professional lines.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2023