22 years sentence for two men found guilty of raping a blind girl

KARACHI: Two men have been handed 22-year prison sentences by the Additional District and Session Court in Malir after they were found guilty of gang-raping a blind and mentally challenged girl.

Judge Shafi Muhammad Perzada also ordered the two men, Sajid and Muneer, to pay a combined sum of Rs100,000 to the victim. One of the accused, who was on bail, has now been ordered back to prison after the judge cancelled his bail.

According to reports, Rahim Yar Khan resident Rashid Ahmed had been visiting his son-in-law for medical help regarding his mentally-challenged daughter on May 5, 2016, when Sajid and Muneer burst into their house and took the whole family hostage.

The culprits then proceeded to beat the blind girl and gang-raped her before fleeing the house.

Although the testimony of the girl could not be presented in court, eye-witnesses identified the culprits and a medical team also presented their expert advice in the case.

The team of doctors testified that the girl had been raped by the two men, and two eye-witnesses, Ishaq and his wife, identified the culprits by face. The prosecution also presented other witnesses that helped the plaintiff.

Earlier, the case against Sajid and Muneer had been filed in the premises of the police station of Sachal. Investigation Officer Khalid Jumani handled the inquiry into the complaint.

Instead of arresting the culprits, Jumani had concluded that the father of the blind girl was lying about the gang-rape of his daughter and this had facilitated the bail of Muneer.

Higher authorities had taken notice of the matter after the plaintiff filed a complaint against the investigating officer. Jumani was dismissed from his job and the investigation was handed over to Officer Pir Baksh.

Baksh sent DNA samples relating to the case to the laboratory for testing on the orders of the court, and the DNA report confirmed that the accused were guilty of raping the girl.