BAHAWALPUR: The police have registered two rape cases during the last 24 hours in Ahmedpur East and Khairpur Tamewali tehsils.

In the first case, the Channigoth police claimed on Monday to have arrested a cleric on charges of raping his minor [girl] student.

Complainant ‘S’ of Tahirwali village said her seven-year-old daughter used to go for Quranic lesson to the seminary of prayer leader ‘Aq’. On Sunday, she did not return home.

The complainant said she along with her husband launched a search, found the seminary closed and heard screams of their daughter from nearby fields.

Channigoth police claimed that after receipt of information, a team had taken the cleric into custody. The girl was referred to Ahmedpur East THQ hospital for medical examination.

In the second incident which took place near Bagh Ali village on Aug 30, the police claimed on Monday to have arrested main suspect ‘Ab’ for the alleged rape of his sister-in-law (brother’s wife).

The FIR was registered under section 376 on Sunday.

According to the FIR, the victim had married a man of her choice ‘G’ and faced opposition from her in-laws who wanted divorce. On Aug 30, she went to serve meal to her husband in fields when her husband’s brother along with his two accomplices allegedly gang-raped her.

Her mother-in-law and other relatives had been making efforts for a patch-up but when with the passage of time there was no possibility of reconciliation she approached the police for registration of a rape case.

Police were conducting raids for the arrest of the remaining suspects.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2020