Gang-rape accused kidnapped Veerji, say Hari leaders | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Gang-rape accused kidnapped Veerji, say Hari leaders

HYDERABAD: Sindh Hari Porhiyat Council president Punhal Sario, Awami Party Pakistan leader Taj Mari and Advocate Bhagwandas Bheel have accused influential people of Tharparkar of kidnapping Veerji Kolhi, a civil society activist who spearheaded the campaign for administering justice to gang-rape victim Kasturi Kolhi.

At a news conference at the press club here on Sunday, they appealed to the Supreme Court to order police to immediately recover Veerji and arrest the kidnappers.

They said that it was due to efforts of civil society leaders, particularly Veerji, that the accused in the gang-rape case of Kasturi Kolhi were arrested and their bail applications were cancelled by the sessions court of Tharparkar.

Punhal Sario said that Veeji and his colleagues had been receiving threats for quite some time from the accused who were pressurising him to withdraw the gang-rape case and not to oppose the bail application.

He said that Veeji had been kidnapped from Haider Chowk on Aug 19 and later threats were received on phone that if the case was not withdrawn and the accused were not released on bail by Monday, Veerji would disappear for good.

He said that the threats were issued from Veerji’s cellphone after his kidnapping. While police were busy providing protocol to ministers and other VIPs, people were being kidnapped and subjected to excesses, he said.

He said that Veerji’s life was in grave danger and appealed to the PPP leadership, IGP and superior judiciary to ensure his safe recovery.

Advocate Bhagwandas Bheel, who is pursuing the case of Kasturi Kolhi, said he had received threats not to oppose the bail application of the accused.

Our Mirpurkhas correspondent adds: Members of civil society and social organisations held a demonstration outside the press club on Sunday in protest against the kidnapping of Veerji Kolhi, a social worker from Hyderabad.
Source: Dawn
Date:8/23/2010