Zara rape-murder case: Criminal proceedings begin against medical officers

SUKKUR: DIG Police Larkana, Irfan Baloch said on Tuesday criminal proceedings against two female medical officers Dr Naila Bhutto and Dr Afsheen Bhutto had been started to determine why they did not carry out the post-mortem of the rape victim of Zara Mangi.

The DIGP Larkana said the police JIT to investigate the case found and proved that the 10-year-old victim was brutally gang-raped and murdered by the alleged accused. He said the medical board under the supervision of Judicial Magistrate Larkana exhumed Zara’s body that revealed no evidence of earlier post mortem.

The senior police official said a member of the medical board, Dr Abdul Rasheed, a forensic expert and chairman medical board, Dr Hassan Ali said even after 15 days of the incident, bleeding of the victim had not stopped. They said the alleged accused brutally murdered the girl after they gang-raped her, adding that the police will leave no stone unturned in Zara Mangi case to get severe punishments for the alleged criminals.

Irfan Baloch said Ameer Bakhsh, father of the deceased, was satisfied with the police investigation, as the police have arrested Sheeraz and Hashim Morio, while the father of the victim alleged police for not arresting the main accused Azhar Morio. He said 15 days ago, the body of a missing girl Zara Mangi, packed in a sack, was recovered from Moriya Fakeer village in Larkana.

The DIGP Larkana said the victim’s father had complained that his daughter was missing after she went to a local shop, adding the police took action and arrested the alleged accused within 24 hours after the body was found.

He said SSP Larkana had formed the police JIT led by ASP City Larkana to investigate the case as well as he had written a letter to the DG Health Sindh for constituting a medical board to re-examine the body as the family of the victim claimed that the post-mortem was not performed earlier.

Meanwhile, Ameer Bakhsh, father of the victim, had to leave his home after undue pressure from accuseds’ families, as he stated that they were forcing him to end the issue through local ‘Jirga’. He also demanded to add the names of the both medical officers in the FIR, who allegedly attempted to spoil the evidence and did not conduct the post-mortem earlier.

Director General Health Sindh Dr Masood Solangi said there was no need to inquire against the doctors, who did not conduct the post-mortem of gang-rape victim Zara Mangi, because the report of the medical board revealed that there was no evidence of earlier post mortem. He said departmental action against both doctors had begun.

Meanwhile, Dr Naila Bhutto and Dr Afsheen Bhutto on Tuesday did not appear before the JIT because police had added their names under Section 201 and both doctors got pre-arrest bail fromthe Sindh High Court. The doctors, while taking to the media persons, told the JIT report was baseless and they could prove themselves innocent. They said they did not hide or spoil any evidence.

The police on Tuesday got six-day remand from the ATC Larkana against the alleged accused including Sheeraz, Mumtaz and Hashim Morio, while the ATC also directed the police to submit final challan of the case on August 27.