KARACHI: A gatekeeper of MF Grammar High School in Karachi’s Ibrahim Hyderi area was taken into custody on Friday after a five-year-old girl in the area accused him of sexually assaulting her.
Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Malir Rao Anwar said the gatekeeper had allegedly attempted to assault the child in the premises of the school yesterday, after which she went home and told her parents.
Her family reached the school on Friday morning and confronted the guard. The ensuing racket which followed alerted the residents and they caught and beat the gatekeeper.
According to details the violent crowd locked the staff of the school in the staff-room and chanted slogans against the school administration. In order to bring the situation under control and prevent any mishap, a heavy contingent of police and, later, the Rangers was called in.
The accused was arrested and shifted to a police station, the SSP said, adding that medical tests were conducted on both the girl and the gatekeeper.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Sindh Home Minister Sohail Siyal and provincial police chief, AD Khawaja, have taken notice of the incident and have ordered the submission of a detailed inquiry report on the matter.
The school administration confirmed that such an incident had “never taken place before” and they “guarantee that a proper investigation into the matter will be carried out and the culprit will be given strict punishment if found guilty.”
The incident comes in wake of a heated debate on child sexual abuse incidents taking place in the country. Earlier this week, a minor, Zainab, was found raped and murdered in Kasur, triggering widespread protests.