Five held for forcing minor girl to marry old man
DADU: Five people were arrested from Sita Road Town on Thursday for torturing and forcing an under-age girl to marry a 50-year-old man.
Police produced the girl and her mother in the court.
Zohra Khoso, widow of Abdul Nabi Khoso, reached the Dadu DPO office on Wednesday evening and complained that Ghulam Ali Khoso was forcibly marrying with her 10-year-old daughter Shazia.
DPO Ghazi Salahuddin formed a team led by Inspector Dildar Soomro, in-charge human rights cell of Dadu police.
They took Ms Shazia in custody on Wednesday and arrested Ghulam Ali Khoso, the would-be groom, and Inayat Khoso, brother of the girl, and brought them at Sita road police station.
On the complaint of Zohra Khoso, an FIR was registered on Thursday morning against five people for torturing and forcing her daughter to marry Ghulam Ali.
Ghulam Ali Khoso, his brother Imamuddin, Inayat Ali Khoso, Ghulam Mustafa and Ali Hassan, uncles of the girl, were nominated in the FIR.
Later, police arrested Imamuddin, Ghulam Mustafa and Ali Hassan.
The police produced Shazia and her mother in the court of civil judge Khairpur Nathan Shah on Thursday.
Recording her statement, Shazia said she was tortured by Ghulam Ali, her brother and three other people when she refused to marry Ghulam Ali.
She alleged that her Nikah was solemnised with Ghulam Ali two years ago when she was only seven years old. She said that she did not want to marry Ghulam Ali.
She said that the rituals of her Rukhsati had started as she was confined in a room (Mayoon) and the Rukhsati was to take place after six days.
Zohra Khoso said her son Inayat Khoso had arranged the marriage of Shazia with Ghulam Ali and added that she was beaten by her son Inayat and four others when she resisted the marriage.
She said that Ghulam Ali had threatened to kill them if she did not agree for her daughter’s marriage with him.
The court directed the police to provide protection to Shazia and complainant Zohra and ascertain the age of the girl through a medical board.
The court remanded five accused in police custody for eight days.
Inayat Khoso said that his Nikah with Shabeeran, the sister of Ghulam Ali, was solemnised two years ago with the condition that Shazia would be married to Ghulam Ali. He said that according their tradition, the agreement could not be back tracked.
Ghulam Ali told reporters at the police station that Shazia was his wife because their Nikah was solemnised two years ago.
The police have also arrested Moulvi Nazeer Panhwar who had facilitated the Nikah.
Source: Dawn
Date:3/5/2010
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