Woman ‘sexually harassed’ by SHO | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Woman ‘sexually harassed’ by SHO

LAYYAH: A woman has approached the district and sessions court judge seeking action against the Chowk Azam station house officer and a constable for sexual harassment.

The complainant (R) says in her statement to the court that she approached the Chowk Azam police station to seek help against her two business partners who, according to her, had deprived her of Rs227,000. Her husband is a labourer in Dubai.

She alleges when she visited the police station on June 24, a constable forced her to pay Rs18,000 as bribe for the registration of a case. When she paid the amount, she was told to visit the police station on June 25. When she arrived at the police station on June 25 at 5pm, the constable took her to the residential quarters of the SHO where the constable and his boss tried to assault her. She raised an alarm and passersby came to rescue her.

To avenge the embarrassment, the police brought a fraud case against (R) making her business partners complainant. The district and sessions court judge has summoned both police officials on July 2 (tomorrow). Advocate Faiza Zafar, a woman rights activist, expressed her anguish on the rising incidents of sexual harassment of women.

She appealed to Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry to take a suo motu action against the accused police officers.
Source: Dawn
Date:7/1/2009