Islamabad couple harassment: Acquittal plea of co-accused rejected

ISLAMABAD: A district and sessions court on Monday dismissed an acquittal plea of a co-accused in the Islamabad couple harassment case.

Co-accused Umar Bilal filed an application seeking his acquittal after the female victim in the case retracted her statement.

After hearing arguments from both defence and prosecution sides, the court dismissed the application and observed that the trial has entered the final phase.

Also Read: Girl retracts statement, refuses to identify accused

The accused’s lawyer will continue cross-examining the investigation officer (IO) tomorrow.

On Jan 11, the female victim in the Islamabad couple harassment and torture case retracted her statement and told the trial court that she didn’t want to pursue the case.

The woman appeared before the court and refused to identify the suspects. During cross-examination, she told the judge that she did not know any of the accused and did not want to pursue the case.

Also Read: Islamabad couple torture case: Usman Mirza, others indicted

A harrowing video of a man sexually harassing and torturing a couple in an Islamabad neighbourhood went viral on social media in July, igniting widespread outrage online with a hashtag calling for his arrest began trending on Twitter.

An FIR was registered against the primary accused, Usman Mirza, and co-accused Hafiz Ataur Rehman, Adaras Qayyum Butt, Rehan, Umar Bilal Marwat, Mohib Bangash and Farhan Shaheen.