Case registered against ASI in Rawalpindi accused of raping girl

RAWALPINDI: A girl from Lahore, who was kidnapped from her friend’s house after midnight and later allegedly raped by a police official, finally succeeded in getting a case registered against him on Thursday.

An assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of Rawalpindi police with his two accomplices knocked at the door of an apartment in Bahria Town Phase VII after midnight on Monday when the family was preparing to go to bed.

“My sister and her friend’s family were in the apartment when three persons, including an ASI, entered the house and asked about an unidentified person,” the victim’s brother said. He said that the intruders tortured his sister and later took her away with them saying that they wanted to investigate her in the police station.

He further said that they went to the police station but his sister was not released until the next morning. However, despite having court orders, the rape victim was still not able to register a first information report (FIR) three days later, although four police officials had been suspended and inquiry had been ordered by the city police officer (CPO) Rawalpindi after the incident came to light.

The victim, 17, a resident of Lahore said in her FIR registered with the Rawat police that she came to Rawalpindi to visit her friend in Bahria Town when some unidentified persons knocked at the door on Monday.

She said that shortly afterwards, some unidentified persons, including an ASI and two other police officials entered inside and thrashed her friend and her family as they were asking them about whereabouts of a man.

She alleged that the ASI took her with him, raped her thrice and threatened to implicate her in a fake drug case if she told anybody what had happened. The victim said in her FIR that her suffering continued and that she was told by the ASI to visit him once a week and threatened with murder if she disobeyed.

On the other hand, a police spokesman said on Friday that an FIR had been registered with the police on the complaint of the victim.

He said that the CPO has directed the SP Saddar Division to ensure impartial investigation into the case as corruption, abuse of power or any kind of complaint against police will not be tolerated. He said that four police officials had already been suspended and departmental action had been ordered against them.

All legal requirements will be fulfilled, said the CPO, adding that legal and administrative actions have also been initiated as police officials are advised to correct their behaviour because corruption, abuse of authority or any kind of complaint will not be tolerated.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2022