Court rejects bail petition of judge’s wife in housemaid torture case

ISLAMABAD: A local court rejected bail petition, of civil judge’s wife Soumia Asim in minor housemaid Rizwana torture case, ARY News reported on Thursday.

Judicial magistrate Shaista Kundi announced decision after hearing lawyers.

Defence counsel Qazi Dastagir claimed in the court that the girl was not employed. “If she was not servant, why she was kept at the home,” judge questioned. “She was brought for teaching and welfare,” defence counsel said. “If she was admitted at school,” judge asked. “She is 16 years of age thus not admitted in school,” the lawyer replied. “A Quran teacher and a tutor were teaching her at home,” defence lawyer said.

“The judge’s family was being blackmailed for money,” lawyer said. “A woman Zunaira, from the US was also sending money for the girl,” he added.

Prosecutor told the court that the girl’s both arms and legs were injured, and a tooth was broken. Her ribs were broken and there are injuries on hind side of the girl’s head,” the lawyer said.

“The petitioner didn’t call the police but the 15 received phone call from Sargodha hospital,” the prosecutor further said.

“Rizwana have 17 wounds on her body, owing to these injuries the girl was referred from Sargodha to Lahore,” lawyer said. “According to x-rays, her arms’ bones were fractured,” he further said.

DPO Sargodha had written a letter to Islamabad Police as the crime location was in Islamabad, government lawyer said. “There are some photos on record that show how the child was subjected to torture,” the counsel said.

“The girl was carried in arms to the bus. The bus driver in his statement said that the child was carried in arms in bus,” prosecutor said.

“They said the girl was brought to the home to teach her, but tutor has stated, he didn’t teach Rizwana,” Prosecutor Waqas said while opposing bail petition of accused Soumia Asim. “There is substantial evidence on record against the accused,” he added.

The incident

14-year-old maid was allegedly subjected to brutal torture by the wife of a civil judge in Islamabad and a case was lodged by the parents of the girl at a local police station.

The wife of a civil judge namely Asim Hafeez allegedly tortured her maid Rizwana after blaming her for stealing gold jewellery.

The family of the affected maid said that the girl was working as a servant at the civil judge’s house in Islamabad for six months and she was subjected to brutal torture by the civil judge’s wife. They added that the owners did not pay a single penny of salary to the girl.

Police said that more than 15 torture marks were found on the affected girl’s face and body. The seriously wounded maid was immediately shifted to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital for medical assistance.

The doctors of the DHQ Hospital referred the girl to the Lahore Hospital for further treatment. Police said that the torture case will be lodged at a police station in Islamabad.