HYDERABAD, April 10: A teenaged girl, who was allegedly raped after being sold in Karachi, was taken to the Hyderabad Civil Hospital on Friday for medical examination on a court order. However, the hospital's medico-legal officer, Dr Sabira Sultana, told this correspondent by telephone that the girl would be examined on Monday as her examination could not be conducted on Friday.

She said that the girl, aged 16 or 17 years, was quite harassed and cried during discourse and was sent back to Darul Aman.

Quoting the girl, the doctor said that she had been criminally assaulted by the man who had bought her in Karachi through a woman.

The girl had recorded her statement under section 164 Cr.PC before the judicial magistrate-12 before being sent for medical examination.

Her brother-in-law, Younus,said that police had arrested two persons, Mohammad Ali and Qurban, in the case but later freed them.

He said that the girl was brought to Hyderabad on March 25 but police delayed producing her for the medical examination.

According to the police, the girl's father had lodged a case on Dec 13, 2003, under section 11/16, Zina Hudood Ordinance, against Shahzado Jatt.

The matter had been reported to the mohallah committee of the union council-1, Ghamanabad.

An official of the committee claimed that the girl had left her house of her own will. He said that the she had gone with a woman who allegedly sold her to a transporter of Karachi for Rs40,000.

The girl stayed with the man for some time and then managed to escape and reached the house of the Nazim of union council-8, Lyari, Karachi. The Nazim contacted her family and she was brought back to Hyderabad.

It was also learnt that the Baldia police had picked up the woman, her husband and one Mohammad Ali.

The Baldia police investigation team in-charge could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.

WOMAN EXAMINED: A woman, Khaldia Parveen, was medically examined by the medico-legal officer of the Civil Hospital of Hyderabad on Friday after she was produced by the A-section police.

According to the woman, she had married Raheem Lashari, a driver, of her own will after her family rejected the proposal of marriage from Mr Lashari's family.

She had left her home on April 2 and married Mr Lashari at his home.

The woman's uncle, Saleem, had lodged a case under the Zina Hudood Ordinance with the A-section police who arrested the couple on Thursday.

BAIL: Justice Mohammad Sadiq Leghari of the Sindh High Court on Friday granted interim pre-arrest bail to a landlord, Abbas Khanzada, in a murder case at a sum of Rs100,000.

Ms Haleema had lodged the case against the landlord at the Tando Adam police station on Dec 25, 2003, accusing him of killing her husband.