Islamabad, 7 Aug, 2023 (GNP): Somia Asim, the wife of Civil Judge Asim Hafeez, was arrested outside a local court in Islamabad on Monday following the cancellation of her bail in the minor house help torture case.
Earlier, Somia Asim was granted interim bail by a district and sessions court until 7 August, with the condition to cooperate with the investigation and appear before Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADJ) Farrukh Fareed for the next hearing.
During her appearance before a five-member joint investigation team (JIT), Somia Asim asserted her innocence, denying any employment of the teenage girl at her house and refuting allegations of physical violence.
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The heartbreaking case of the 14-year-old Rizwana’s horrific treatment came to light earlier this month when her parents admitted her to a Lahore hospital with major bruises and claimed the judge’s wife had severely tortured the girl.
The victim’s father, Manga Khan, had filed a complaint with the Humak police station, leading to the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) under sections 506 (criminal intimidation) and 342 (wrongful confinement) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
However, today, Somia appeared before the district sessions court with the assistance of her legal team to request the extension of her bail.
The ADJ Farrukh Fareed rejected her bail application and ordered her arrest. The defence lawyer said the investigation officer did not record the statements of other people involved in the incident, adding that the entire story against Somia was fabricated.
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The court then ordered both parties to present arguments in support and opposition to the bail application.
Additionally, the court ordered the investigation officer to obtain the footage that the defence lawyer had mentioned, in which Somia is seen escorting Rizwana to the bus stop to send the girl back to her parents.
Meanwhile, in its arguments, the prosecution insisted that they needed to find the “object” that Somia allegedly used to beat Rizwana to prove the charges.
“There is no ground for the bail extension yet. There shouldn’t be any fear in finding the truth,” Judge Fareed instructed the prosecution to gather evidence honestly.
Later, the judge ordered the arrest of Somia Asim while denying her bail application and instructing her to cooperate with the investigation.
