ISLAMABAD: The CCTV footage that surfaced as major evidence in the domestic help torture case on Tuesday, showed the 14-year-old victim in bad shape.
The prime suspect, Civil Judge Asim Hafeez's wife Somia Asim, and her lawyer claimed that she had returned Rizwana — the girl who was allegedly tortured while being employed as domestic help — safe and sound to her parents.
However, the claims were shattered as different bits of the CCTV footage showed the girl limping at the bus stop where she was handed over to her parents by the suspect.
The harrowing case of violence against children surfaced last month when the seriously injured girl was shifted to a hospital in Lahore, with her parents alleging that her employer Somia had inflicted severe torture on the child.
A case was registered on the parents' behalf on the very next day, but the prime suspect was arrested after a long wait, when a local court in Islamabad finally cancelled her bail on August 7.
The judge and his wife deny all the allegations, claiming that Somia had never beaten Rizwana and that all injuries she has are due to a skin infection caused by eating "dirt".
The lawyer representing Somia in the court contended that the CCTV video of the bus stop was evidence that Rizwana returned to her parents fit and fine.
However, the video showed the opposite as the girl was seen struggling to get out of a car that came to drop her at the bus stop. She was then seen walking with difficulty after she stepped out of the car.
Another bit of the CCTV footage showed two men carrying the girl into the bus as she couldn't walk on her own.
Meanwhile, Somia was sent to jail on a physical remand after the police presented her before lady magistrate Shaista Kundi at a district and sessions court.
The investigation officer contended that a woman can be remanded in physical custody in case of serious offences.
However, the court rejected the police's request for a physical remand and sent her to jail on judicial remand till August 22.