PHC grants bail to accused in prostitution case

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday granted bail to two women and a man arrested for alleged involvement in prostitution.

A single bench of Justice Asadullah Khan Chamkani issued order for release of the two women and a boy, with observation that the police register suchlike cases on false allegations and then fail to produce evidence and prove the cases.

The petitioners’ lawyer Arshad Hussain Yousafzai submitted that Paharipura Police Station raided the house of a woman on November 11, 2015 and arrested two women and a boy in objectionable condition in the house. As per the police report, the raid on the house was conducted on the complaint of locals about alleged prostitution.

He said the police then charged the petitioners under Section 371 (selling person for purpose of prostitution), Code of Criminal Procedure. He said the police did not provide medical report in the case and also violated the law when the raid was conducted.

The lawyer said that under Section 103 of the CrPC, the police would take elders of the area into confidence while conducting raid. He said the police did not have search warrant for the raid. During hearing, Justice Asadullah Khan observed that it was a matter of concern that the police only registered the cases and then did not properly investigate them.