Islamabad: Rawalpindi Police have confirmed a 17-year-old girl was abducted last month, sexually assaulted and stripped naked by three accused in the jurisdiction of Warris Khan, Rawalpindi city’s main police station.
The girl, who works as maid in different homes, was not only subjected to physical torture, her tormentors also filmed her while she was forced to walk.
A case was registered on July 15 against the three accused in the Warris Khan police station and further investigations are underway, said a spokesperson of the Rawalpindi Police while talking to Gulf News.
The incident came to light a day earlier on Thursday when a video clip was posted on social media showing the girl at the mercy of three gangsters who commanded her to undress herself and walk.
In her complaint the girl alleged that the men had also gang-raped her at knifepoint. The scope of the investigation has therefore been widened after her statement, the police added.
The teenager said she was poor, helpless and did not have any support, and was the “sole breadwinner for her three orphaned brothers”.
According to her, on the day of the incident she was returning from a house where she worked as maid when she was abducted and taken to a spot where the incidents took place.
“I went to the Banni police station but the police refused to file a report,” she said.
“I have no support. The accused had threatened me so I remained silent. Police only contacted me after they watched the video on social media,” she added.
Rawalpindi police, on the other hand, explained that one of the three accused was arrested. “Amir Qureshi is charged with stripping the girl and filming her,” said the police adding the accused faced prior complaints of drug-peddling as well as child molestation, filed at the Banni police station. A local court in Rawalpindi, however, released him on bail against Rs50,000 (Dh 1,090) surety bonds.
His two other accomplices Arsalan Akram and Mohsin Akram are on interim bail until August 11.
City Police Officer Mohammed Ahsan Younis said the two accused have been approached by police for recording their statements.
Meanwhile, outraged at the video, netizens demanded strict action against the culprits and urged the garrison city’s police to make it an example for others. They also criticised the court for granting bail to the main accused and extension in interim bail of the other two.
“There should be no room for torture, exploitation, harassment and assault against women and those who commit so should be penalised and given exemplary punishment,” said tweeps.
