Minor girl’s alleged molester remanded in police custody

NOWSHERA: An accused who allegedly subjected to sexual assault a minor girl at the Akbarpura village in the Nowshera district was remanded in three-day police custody on Thursday.

Sources said the three-year old girl, Madeeha, daughter of Muhammad Niaz, was playing outside her home the previous day. Muhammad Hammad, 18, a resident of Lahore, in Punjab, now living in Pabbi Railway Station area, who collected reusable items on his bicycle and sold cookies spotted her.

The accused gave the girl candies and took her to an under-construction house, almost 100 yards away from her home. He allegedly subjected her to sexual abuse. The minor girl raised alarms.

The local nazim, Dr Riaz and people of the area, who were going for offering prayer in a masque, rushed to the site after hearing screams of the girl. They got hold of the accused and informed the Wapda Colony police post staff about the incident.

The police reached the site and arrested the accused. The affected child was shifted to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital at Pabbi. Medical officer Dr Ayesha examined the girl, took the DNA samples and handed them to police. Dr Yasir examined the accused. He confirmed that the accused had committed the crime.

The police shifted the accused to the Akbarpura Police Station amid tight security. A large number of people of the area reached the police station. The angry people demanded that the man involved in the incident should be stoned to death in public.

Nowshera District Police Officer Qasim Ali Khan and Deputy Superintendent of Police Luqman Khan hurried to the police station. The senior cops held talks with the enraged protesters and assured them of an impartial and transparent investigation into the incident as per the law. A case was registered against the accused under the relevant sections. The accused was shifted to the SP Investigation office the next morning. He allegedly confessed to the crime. The accused was produced first in the court of District and Sessions Judge Shafiq Ahmad Tanoli. Later, he was taken to the Civil Judge-cum-Judicial Magistrate, Bakht Zada Khan who remanded him into police custody for three days.

The accused was produced in the court with his face covered. Police said secrecy was maintained as his exposure to the media could have stirred public sentiments. The accused was later moved to the Mian Rashid Hussain Shaheed Hospital in Pabbi town.

He was handed to the SP Investigation Sanaullah, DSP Pabbi Luqman and Sub-Inspector Shahid Khan for further grilling. Meanwhile, the lawyers staged a protest over the brutal killing of two minor girls, Madiha and Asma, and blocked the Grand Trunk Road to traffic. They were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans. They asked the government to arrest the culprit forthwith.