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Robbed
By Protector
By
Sagittarius
The family was fast asleep when five men gang of devils barged
in a one-room house on
ground floor of depleted Hanif Mansion in Ramswami area of
Ranchor Line at midnight on 1st April.
They introduced themselves as CIA personnel. Before Abdul
Sattar a 50years old cycle puncture vender and his son could
raise any questions, both were tied up after getting heavy
slaps and kicks. And
then began a horrifying scene right in front of their eyes.
One after the other, the 'protectors of
law' dishonoured Saima, 25, a divorced mother of a three-year-old
child, and her younger
unmarried sister Shama, 17.
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in front of the girls' father, and four brothers, three
of whom are less than ten years of age. "I begged
them not to do that for God and Quran's sake but they
did not listen to me," says Sattar. "They were
drunk and they did what they wanted to do," he said
sobingly. The devils separated her three-year-old son
out of Saima's arms and took her in a corner where all
five men rapped her; the same scene was repeated with
Shama. In an isolated building, which is undergoing a
process of evacuation, there was no use of crying. "They
entered the house around 2pm and remained inside for about
an hour and a half. They left with the threat of dire
consequences if the we tried to complaint against them”
said Sattar. “While peaking they ordered my son Jabbar
to visite them at the CIA center at 8pm the next day.”
Sattar add, "It was horrifying; the family is traumatised.
I am ashamed to raise my head before my daughters,"
Despite his ghastly misfortune, Sattar later collected
his strength and walked to Nabi Bux Police Station, situated
at a distance of five minutes,after Fajar prayers. |
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But when he narrated his story, the in-charge
refused to lodge an FIR against influential policemen and the
son of an inspector. Sattar was advised to revisit the station
in the evening, but before he could return, the news of his
visit was leaked to the senior police officials, who not only
ensured the registration of FIR, but also suspended the SHO
on charges of refusing the registration of an FIR.
By then, the news had spread in the neighbourhood like wildfire
resulting in an angry reaction from the people against such
a brutal act by the law enforcement personnel and their accomplice.
Protest and press coverage also moved the high police officials,
including Sindh Police IG, Syed Kamal Shah. Three accused constables,
Ismatullah, Malik Safeer, a dismissed cop and a local laundry
shop owner Kashif, have been arrested while Malik Hasnat, son
of inspector Malik Shabir Awan, the mastermind behind the crime
and another constable, Malik Qamar Iqbal, are still at large.
The gruesome crime by police personnel just within days of the
introduction of a new police system in the city--not to mention,
the much advertised police reforms--have exposed the department's
vulnerability to criminal-minded black sheep within its ranks.
"Our heads are bowed with shame after this dirty crime,"
says Inspector Khalid, a new Station House Officer (SHO) at
P. S. Nabi Bux. "They have brought a bad name for department
and we all hate them; they are a black spot on the police,"
he says, while expressing his anger. He seem to be determent
to bring culprits to justice.
Except Kashif, all four accused were residents of police headquarters,
Garden. Accused Malik Safeer had been dismissed on charges of
gross misconduct for being involved in heinous crimes, including
dacoity and police encounter, but despite all his crimes he
remained buddy to many of his ex-colleagues and a regular visitor
to police stations. His residence in police quarters leaves
one wondering about how many such criminals might be taking
refuge in these shelters of security. "It is true that
some bad people reside in police quarters," commented inspector
Zafar, SHO Garden Police Station. He suggests that there should
be a scrutiny to purge police residential areas of criminals.
People of the area say that the accused used to operate from
the police head quarters, and were involved in a number of criminal
and immoral activities. "They used to threaten people,
but nobody dared to complaint against them because they were
police personnel," says Haji Nazir Ahmed, 50, a former
Zakat Committee chairman
of the area. "We still fear that they will be released
because they are influential," he added, while demanding
a death penalty for the criminals.
The case is not a first one. Law enforcement agency personnel,
in the past, have been found involved in heinous crimes like
rape. "In the last 40 to 50 years, police has served as
mafia and abuser of law instead of performing |
as the protector of law commented
Zia Awan, President of Lawyers for Human Rights and legal
Aid (LHRA). Zia informs that in most cases in which policemen
are involved, the investigation has always been proved
disastrous making the case very weak. "I don't think
the fate of Ramswami gang rape case will be any different
than the past such cases," adds Zia. He says that
in cases where police are the accused, investigation must
be done by an independent agency like Ombudsman Office.
People like Zia believe that the prompt action by the
authority in this case is just because of the personal
interest of IGP, but that does not mean that the accused
will meet an acute punishment, because the country's criminal
justice system is full of flaws and it doesn't particularly
support the victims of rape cases. Police had booked the
Ramswami gang rape case accused under section 10 (4) of
Zina Hudood Ordinance, which suggests death penalty, if
they are found guilty. But Zia subscribes to the views
of those who say that the law itself is discriminatory
to women. "Hudood Ordinance is discriminatory to
women where proving rape case is very difficult and the
victims end up suffering, rather than the accused,"
he added. He says that policemen who are involved in crimes
not only manage to come out of jails but also regain their
jobs. "They commit crimes and their accomplices do
the investigation; what kind of justice do you expect
then ?" he said. The LHRA President says that his
organisation will be willing to fight the case; he has
always been disappointed in such cases on grounds of delay
in medical check-up, lack of evidence and a faulty and
lengthy justice system.
Sattar says that the medical check-up of his daughters
was done after fifteen hours because of delay in lodging
an FIR. The initial medical report confirms the rape,
but the detailed report is yet to be released after the
results of laboratory tests.
NGO workers dealing with rape cases say that mostly victims
of rape cases do not come forward because the present
criminal justice system does not support them. Moreover,
the society itself turns hostile to rape victims. "People
look upon us in a mocking way, sometimes I feel embarrassed
when I step outside my home," admits Sattar. He says
that sometimes people who come to sympathise ask such
embarrassing questions, which he finds difficult to reply.
"It is as if they are taking pleasure rather than
sympathy," he adds. Younger brothers of the ill-fated
girls say that street boys tease them; they have stopped
going out since the day of the incident.
"In such cases, the family is pressurised and threatened
to shift their residence," says Amanullah of War
Against Rape (WAR), an NGO fighting for rape cases. "In
most cases, families change their residence and give up
pursuing the case," he adds. Amanullah says that
since there is no provision of a compromise in rape cases,
victim's families just disappear, providing accused an
opportunity to come out on bail. He says that in the past
rape cases, particularly where police personnel are involved,
the victim families, are shifted within days of an incident
leaving no clue of their whereabouts. Aman fears a repetition
of similar consequence in this case. It is a startling
fact that to date no policeman has been punished for being
involved in a rape case. "90 per cent rape cases
remain unreported; only ten percent people dare to lodge
the FIR," says Amanullah of WAR. There is an urgent
need for establishing women police stations in the city.
Generally, women don't dare to go and report their abuse
to male police officers. This is a major reason why rape
cases and other domestic violence cases go unnoticed and
unheard. Abdul Sattar, the father of the girls, says that
there is no pressure on him, he confesses that some people
have offered him money to silently leave the place."Someone
came to me today and said forget what happened, take money
and leave the place silently," he said, without mentioning
the name of the broker. "I refused to accept the
money and told him that I won't sell the honour of my
daughters," he added. |
"They molested our bodies; the
pain can never be washed away, but we will be relieved
when the culprits get due punishment," says
Saima, one of the victims of the Ramswami gang rape
incident. "There were five people. Both of
us (sisters) were sleeping on the upper rickety
wooden plank. One of them took off my clothes. I
knew what was going to happen. I was sobbing and
struggling to save my dignity but nothing could
save me; then came another one..." she narrated
her horrifying story. "I was forced to lie
in the same position till all these scoundrels took
their turns. They also raped my sister, who was
sleeping next to me." While Saima shared her
story, her younger sister remained quiet, looking
abashed on account of the unfortunate incident that
had happened with them. She refused to share her
sad tale even on insistence. Saima further revealed
that the men were badly drunk and she also witnessed
liquor bottles in their hands. "I saw few of
them taking some kind of a drug in the form of a
pill."
Upon inquiring whether the family had any enmity
with the rapists, she clarified that they did not
know them in person, though the men have a reputation
of neighbourhood louts. "These are the corrupt
men of this locality," says Saima. "They
stole our dignity. They must be awarded the death
penalty," she demands. "Who would marry
my sister now? Her future is destroyed," She
raises a question that our society may be not willing
to answer.
Abdul Sattar, the victims' father was numb and felt
sorry that he could do nothing to save the dignity
and honour of his daughters. The mental trauma of
the family is worst than any physical injury which
they may have incurred. Both the sisters get constant
nightmares; a sense of distrust prevails; and reprehension
looms large in their lives. And the road to recovery
is long. |
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| He says that he wants the accused
to get an exemplary punishment as they have destroyed the lives
of his daughters. He is particularly worried about the marriage
of his young daughter Shama. "They have destroyed her life;
who will accept her now?" he says anxiously. Sattar and
his family are an example of extreme poverty. He says that his
daughter was divorced because they were born poor, and did not
take a lot of jewellery with her in the dowry. |
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