Chichawatni girl neither raped, nor set ablaze, police inform SC

SAHIWAL: The Punjab police informed the Supreme Court on Saturday that an eight-year-old girl, who was said to have been immolated after allegedly being raped in Chichawatni last Sunday, was neither sexually assaulted nor burnt alive, ARY News reported. 

Noor Fatima, a resident of Mohammadabad, succumbed to her burn injuries at a Lahore hospital on Monday – a day after she was found with burn wounds all over her body outsider her house.

According to her parents, she was set ablaze after being subjected to sexual assault. The incident made headlines, triggering widespread outrage as a complete strike was observed in the city with dozens of people taking to the streets against police failure to nab the culprits.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar had taken suo motu notice of the incident and summoned a report from the Punjab police chief in this regard.

In response to the Supreme Court’s directives, the police submitted an inquiry report to the bench today, claiming that the allegations of the minor girl set ablaze after sexual assault are false.

It said no evidence of rape or immolation was found after a thorough investigation into the circumstance leading to her death. Nor is there any evidence to substantiate the allegation of sexual assault, it added.

After the probe, the report said, it surfaced that the minor girl after leaving her house on that fateful day went to a nearby shop and bought three toffees and firecrackers. Seven minutes later, it said, she was found screaming because of burn injuries outside her house.

The police in its report assured the top court that a fair probe would be carried out into the incident.