Ejaz Arshad Cheema
ISLAMABAD: The Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Farrukh Farid Baloch on Monday rejected the bail plea of Somia Asim, the wife of a civil judge, for her alleged involvement in torturing a poor 12 years old housemaid Rizwana in her house located in a private housing society.
The court ordered Islamabad police investigators to arrest the accused upon which Somia Asim was arrested by lady cops of capital police from court premises.
Humak police booked Somia Asim under multiple charges including attempted murder after she placed a poor housemaid Rizwana Bibi under severe torture and detained her in a room of house illegally.
According to details, the accused Somia, wife of judge Chaudhry Asim Hafeez, appeared before the court of ADSJ Farrukh Farid Baloch after expiry of her pre arrest bail awarded by the court earlier.
A team of investigators of Hukam police produced the case record before the judge. Advocate Rana Adil Imdad, the counsel for victim housemaid Rizwana, also appeared before the court.
When the court assumed hearing in the domestic female worker case, Advocate Nazar Niazi, who was representing accused Somia Asim, sought time from court till 10am which was granted to him by the judge.
After the pause in hearing, the defense counsel argued before ADSJ Farrukh Farid Baloch that his client had appeared before the joint investigation team (JIT) formed by IG Islamabad to probe the case and had expressed her innocence.
He told the court that police mentioned in record that the accused Somia Asim did not inflict torture while she repeatedly asked to send the maid back to Sargodha.
He said that the victim’s mother had been summoned by the JIT also and it would be better to wait till the evening when the JIT investigation is completed. The defense lawyer alleged that the IO of case had not probed all aspects of the case.
“Even the police had not obtained the CCTV footage of the crime scene,” said Advocate Nazar Niazi.
In response, ADSJ Farrukh Farid Baloch remarked that none of arguments of defense lawyer are sufficient for granting an extension in pre arrest bail to the accused.
Advocate Nazar Niazi replied that the FIR is based on lies on which the judge remarked that he would only hear arguments on the suspect’s bail plea and nothing else. The defense counsel pleaded the court should send his client to jail once the JIT declared her guilty.
However, the judge rejected the plea of the defense and asked the counsel to continue his arguments on the bail application. Advocate Nazar Niazi added that investigators had not obtained the CCTV footage of crime scene saying a three-hour clip of the victim at a bus stop was available. The CCTV footage may expire in a day or two, he said.
On this, the court ordered the investigating officer (IO) of Rizwana torture case to obtain the video and make it part of case record.
“Police investigators are responsible for collecting evidence from both sides,” observed ADSJ Farrukh Farid Baloch.
Meanwhile, the video of the 12 years old maid Rizwana was then played in the courtroom on a laptop in whic both the teenager and Somia Asim can be seen at the bus stop.
Advocate Nazar Niazi said that it showed the victim getting out of a car herself and she can be seen safely sitting at the bus stop for two hours. He said the applicant alleged that the housmaid was found detained in room of a house of Somia that too in injured condition.
He also highlighted that the victim’s medical report was dated July 24 whereas the case was registered on July 25. He said that Somia was being roped in a bogus case while media trial is also adding worries to his client.
The judge asked the police officers of Humak police station if they had the call detail record in the case. On this lawyer of Somia added that the police wanted to create a one-side story that supported their narrative and had therefore not investigated other aspects of the case. He also stated that Somia had three witnesses who could testify that they had seen the teenager in good health at her residence.
Advocate Rana Adil Imdad, who was contesting case on behalf of housmaid, argued that no one, including the court, could dictate the IO and asked on what basis was Somia seeking an extension in her bail.
He questioned will a woman commit any sin and be granted bail? He said that the defense counsel wanted to implicate the parents of victims in the case. He said that on the other hand the judge is offering the parents bribe for not pursuing the case against his wife.
He told court her poor client was tortured by the wife of judge not once but time and again and was not taken to hospital for medical treatment.
Meanwhile, the Special Public Prosecutor Waqas Haral said the victim had sustained 14 injuries as per her medical report issued by the doctors.
Mother of Rizwana burst into tears in the courtroom when Prosecutor was arguing about MLR of the victim.
The prosecutor said why the wife of judge is not lodging a complaint with police against parents of Rizwana it they are blackmailing her.
After completion of arguments of both parties, ADSJ Farrukh Farid Baloch has rejected the pre arrest bail of Somia Asim and ordered police to handcuff her.
Police immediately rounded up wife of judge from court premises and shifted her to women police station for further investigation.
