Torture of maid: Judge’s wife arrested after bail plea rejection

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad’s Additional District and Sessions Judge Farrukh Fareed Baloch has rejected the bail application of Somia Asim, the wife of a civil judge allegedly involved in the housemaid Rizwana torture case.

Police arrested Somia Asim outside the courtroom after her bail plea was denied on Monday. Accompanied by her lawyer, Somia Asim appeared in court to face charges related to the severe torture of an underage domestic worker. She was accused of inflicting serious injuries upon a teenage maid, who was subsequently rushed to Lahore General Hospital in critical condition on July 24.

As per the girl’s medico-legal certificate (MLC), she suffered from multiple injuries, including lacerations on the head, forehead, right side above the eyebrow, swollen upper lips, lacerations under the upper lip on the right side, broken left incisor and left canine, laceration on the cheek, nose bleed, laceration on the left side of the vertex, multiple bruises on the lower leg, fracture on the right forearm, swollen left and right eyelids, bruise on the right skull, laceration on the back, multiple bruises on the back, and signs of attempted strangulation.

The accused’s lawyer claimed that Somia had safely handed over the young girl to her mother. However, the court questioned the absence of records related to the case against the accused. The lawyer said that Somia had already cooperated with the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) and asserted her innocence.

According to the police record, Somia had repeatedly insisted on sending the maid back, but the girl remained stranded at the bus stop for 2.5 hours without being able to move.

The lawyer also presented a video on a USB drive in court, confirming that the girl was seated in the front seat. However, the court emphasized relying on the First Information Report (FIR) rather than media reports. Subsequently, the court rejected Somia’s bail application and ordered her immediate arrest.

Earlier, on July 26, Islamabad police had reluctantly registered the FIR in the case, initially charging the judge’s wife with criminal intimidation and wrongful confinement but omitting any mention of physical torture. Nevertheless, the FIR was later updated to include additional sections, including murder.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) had granted a protective bail to the judge’s wife until August 1, and a district and sessions court in Islamabad allowed her pre-arrest bail in the case until August 7. Following the conclusion of the hearing, the teenager’s lawyer said that Rizwana’s parents were facing pressure, yet they courageously continued to pursue the case.