Deflection and denial: Victim approaches court to file gang rape case
A Christian woman has filed a petition before Additional Session Judge Mujahid Hussain alleging that she was gang raped by her Muslim colleague and his six accomplices two months ago.
The women told the court that she and her father had been trying to register a case against the accused for over two months but the police refused to file their complaint and had charged her instead. The case is now pending for adjudication and the next date of hearing has been fixed for June 2.
According to Razia Bibi, a mother of three, she had submitted a complaint with the regional police on March 28, alleging that she had been raped by her co-workers. Razia said that Millat Town police did not take any action on her complaint of sexual assault, torture and kidnapping.
“They barely even wrote my complaint down until I pleaded with them. They didn’t follow up the case because they want to protect the rapist,” Razia told the court. Razia works in a factory in the Gojra village and accused her colleague Waqas of kidnapping her from her house on March 27 and gang raping her with his four friends. “They took me to a warehouse a few miles from my house and tied me up. Then they each took turns assaulting me,” she said.
Speaking to The Express Tribune on Thursday, Razia said Millat Town Assistant Sub Inspector (SI) Rana Maqsood had failed to file her complaint. “This case has become a shuttlecock between the police and courts because no one really wants to take action on behalf of a Christian woman against 7 Muslim men,” said Razia’s lawyer Advocate Jameel Pervaiz. “The case has been delayed for nearly 2 months,” he added.
Razia’s family has alleged that the police prepared a false statement on her behalf. “They said my daughter had compromised and allowed to let the matter slide even though we have been pushing for a case to be registered. The police have been bribed by the accused,” Razia’s father Sultan said.
Razia is married to Sabir and belongs to a very poor family in the area. “My family was so grateful when I managed to get a job at the factory because we were barely making do and Waqas knew of my situation. He took advantage of that,” she told reporters. Razia’s husband Sabir became a drug addict two years ago and she began work at the factory to support her two children and her parents.
According to Razia’s parents, she was ill for the past month and had taken time off from the factory. “Waqas came to our house and badgered her to rejoin the factory. When he found out she was sick he offered to help us out,” Sultan said.
On March 27, Waqas allegedly kidnapped Razia from her home on the pretext of having found her a new job. He took her to a warehouse, where six of her friends tied her up and assaulted her. “They drugged me and chained me up for the whole night,” she said.
The next day, after she came to, Razia immediately moved a complaint before Faisalabad Regional Police Officer (RPO) Aftab Cheema for the registration of a case against the accused on charges of kidnapping, rape, torture and other charges.
She said that the RPO had noted her complaint and referred her to the Millat Town police SI Rana Maqsood but he had refused to take any action. Maqsood said “This woman has didn’t file any case and she previously worked with the accused. She is trying to charge them with rape after she was let go from her job. The allegations are all false.”
SI Maqsood registered a case against the rape victim rather than against the accused. He said that she had entered into a compromise with the rapists and refused to file any charges. “They are trying to charge me with defaming the rapists rather than file a case against them for raping me” she told reporters.
All names have been changed to protect the victim’s identity.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 28th, 2011.
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