ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Wednesday adjourned hearing till next week in a review petition filed in Mukhtaran Mai case challenging the acquittal of 13 persons accused of gang-rape.
A three-member bench of apex court headed by Justice Mashee Alam heard the review petition of Mukhtaran Mai against the acquittal of accused.
During this day hearing, Mai’s counsel Aitzaz Ahsan adopted the stance that the Lahore High Court (LHC) had written in its judgment that there were no injuries were found on resulting of a sexual assault on his client.
He said the doctor concerned himself appeared before the bench and told it that there were spot of injuries.
The LHC decision also stated that there was no evidence found which prove that Mai had demonstrated any resistance to the assault, he further contended.
The petitioner’s counsel pleaded that the area counselor also recorded his statement before the court as witness to incident.
Aitzaz Ahsan argued that the accused had a lot of influence on the people of the Mastoi community.
Later, the court adjourned hearing of the case till next week.
In June 2002, Mai was allegedly gang-raped on orders of a ‘panchayat’ as punishment after her younger brother was accused of illicit relations with a girl from a rival tribe.
An anti-terrorism court in 2002, had released eight suspects while sentencing six men to death.
In March 2005, five convicts were acquitted by a LHC bench while one’s sentence was converted into life imprisonment.
The apex court also up held the LHC’s decision. However, the victim had filed a review petition against the acquittal of accused persons.
