Gang-rape case: IG Punjab suspends IOs on poor investigations

RAWALPINDI: Inspector General (IG) of Punjab Police Shoaib Dastagir taking notice of poor and irresponsibly conducted investigations of police in gang-rape case of a 13-year-old girl, suspended both the investigation officers (IOs) of Rawat Police Station and ordered a high level inquiry to ascertain the facts and to fix responsibility about such criminal negligence, police sources said Wednesday.

This is worth mentioning here that Regional Police Officer (RPO) Rawalpindi Region, Sohail Habib Tajik, after listening the victim and her mother, shifted the case to ASP Ms. Beenash Fatima under the supervision of SSP (Investigations) after consulting IG Punjab.

The victim girl was gang-raped on 23rd April and Investigation Officer of Rawat Police Station twisted investigations by showing the girl as women and instead of mentioning exact age of girl (12 years, eight months) as per Nadra record showed the girl as 21 years of age to possibly benefit the assaulters.

An IO of Rawat Police Station was also alleged for taking Rs300,000 as bribe from mother of the victim girl as well as for taking the victim girl and her assaulters for DNA test to Lahore in the same vehicle.

Earlier, counsel of victim girl, Syed Masood Shah and Raja Shahnaz Begum have contend the court to try the culprits under Zainab Alert Bill on account of minor age of the girl. The counsel of the victim, while talking to this scribe, said, “Even the police investigators claimed in the preliminary report that the victim was 21-year-old married woman,” which was false version of the police to destroy the real picture of the case just for their vested interests offered by the accused party. “Misconduct on part of police officials to manipulate findings in heinous crimes has raised questions on credibility of the Punjab police officials in twisting investigations and benefiting the culprits in pursuit of vested interests,” the counsel concluded.

Following the poor investigations on part of IOs, IG Punjab Shoaib Dastagir suspended them and also sought detailed report from RPO Rawalpindi.

While, when this scribe contacted IG Punjab Shoaib Dastagir to take his views on the very case on Tuesday, the spokesperson of IG Office refused to listen this correspondent when contacted to get official version of the IG Punjab, saying that she could hear him and asked to contact after two hours and but her cell phone never responded later on when contacted.