Two remanded for botched abortion which killed woman

A judicial magistrate remanded on Wednesday a nurse and her assistant in police custody for three days in a case pertaining to negligence in an abortion procedure which led to the death of the patient.

Mochko police presented Robina and Atif before the District West judicial magistrate XXIII, contending that their remand was required to arrest an absconding suspect, identified as Umer, who is said to be a friend of the deceased girl.

Rubab Shafiq, said to be a model, was found dead under mysterious circumstances within the limits of the Mochko police station on February 20. Her body was taken to the Civil Hospital Karachi for medico-legal formalities and later shifted to a morgue for want of her heirs.

Investigators claimed that the woman was identified by her brother at the morgue and several marks of injection were found on her body, particularly on her hands. In his statement recorded to the police, the brother said his sister had been missing for the past few days. Later, her body was found near the Edhi graveyard in the Mochko area.

The brother told the police that they did not have any enmity with anyone, adding that his sister’s mobile phone and ring were still missing. He, however, nominated Umer and three of his unidentified companions in the FIR.

The investigation officer told the court that the two medical officers revealed that Umer had brought Rubab to their clinic in Gulzar-e-Hijri to perform the abortion. The girl’s condition, however, worsened during the procedure and she died. The suspect then dumped her body at the graveyard.

The IO said that the suspects’ custody was required to trace the whereabouts of Umer, who has reportedly moved out of the city. The judge, allowing the request, extended the remand of the suspects for three more days and called a progress report from the police at the next hearing.