Burnt maid dies | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Burnt maid dies

KARACHI, January 24,2005: The maid Asiya, who had been brought to Civil Hospital with 98 per cent burns on January 9, breathed her last on Friday morning.

She had suffered severe burns at a bungalow in CP Barar Society where she had been working as maidservant.

In her prior statement, she had accused another servant, Amanat, of burning her, but later implicated Yaseen Bawani, the son of her employer, in the matter. Asiya’s body was handed over to her parents, who had come from Punjab to take care of her during treatment at the hospital. The body was later taken to her native town in Faisalabad by air.

According to police version, Asiya and Amanat had been working at the same bungalow where Amanat, 20, subjected her to rape after assuring her that he would marry her. Later, he refused to honour his commitment.

The police said that the embarrassed and depressed girl then tried to commit suicide by burning herself. A case for attempted suicide was registered against the girl and Amanat was detained for investigation. The police claimed that the facts were based on the statement she had given immediately after brought to the hospital.

However, in the next few days, Asiya disowned the statement claiming that she had not record any statement on that day (January 9), and alleged that her thumb impression on an already prepared statement was taken by police while she was unconscious.

She recorded her statement before a doctor after regaining consciousness. This statement, which was legally approved and converted into an FIR, accused Yaseen Bawani of subjecting her to rape for a couple of months at different occasions.

She stated that Bawani had again tried to rape her on Jan 9 on which she slapped him in the face. According to her, the accused had threatened to kill her and she had to inform Bawani’s parents about the incident.

She claimed that Yaseen Bawani sent three masked men to the servant quarters who forcibly took her to bathroom and set her on fire, adding that her shrieks attracted Amanat who took her to the hospital.
Source: Dawn
Date:1/24/2005