Judge says wife tough but didn’t beat up child maid

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Civil Judge Asim Hafeez, the husband of the woman accused of torturing 14-year-old domestic worker Rizwana, has said that the way they were being subjected to a brutal media trial, it was better they were slaughtered. On the other hand, the girl remains in critical condition.

In an interview to a news website, Civil Judge Asim Hafeez accused Rizwana’s parents of being greedy and said the maid was employed at their house for Rs10,000 and claimed she had gone to her parents at her own feet. “The way we are being brutally tried by the media, it is better we are slaughtered. Because of the media, our family’s face, reputation, peace of mind and honour have been ruined in society,” he added.

He said the question was that if he and his wife were proved innocent by the court, then who would repair the hurt caused to their family’s reputation?

Asim Hafeez admitted his wife’s psychological problems, saying that she must have been tough but she told him that she had never beaten the maid. On the other hand, the condition of domestic worker, who has been under treatment for 7 days in the Lahore General Hospital, is still critical, doctors said.

Meanwhile, police have added about eight sections and sub-sections to the first information report (FIR) against the wife of the civil judge after receiving a medico-legal report showing broken bones, deep wounds of torture and heavy bruises found on different parts of her servant Rizwana’s body.

Earlier, the Hummak Police had lodged FIR (No 154/23) on July 25 under sections 506, 342 and 328 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) against people involved in the brutal torture on the teenage domestic servant for unknown reasons. The Islamabad Police have now added sections and sub-sections including 324/337 A-I/337 A-II/337 A-III/ 337F(I)/337F(V)/337L(II) and 334 to the FIR.

According to the medico-legal report, two deep wounds were found in the head, 4 cm on the right side and 2 cm on the left side of the cranium, and 6 cm swelling on the backside of skull, while multiple wounds were marked on 10 cm area of the cranium.

On the right arm, 10 cm swelling and fracture were found. A 5 cm wound was marked near the right eye while, on the left, a deep scratch and 3 cm swelling and bruise on nose were found; 4 cm swelling on the upper lip and 3 cm swelling on the lower lip were noted along with 10 cm swelling with a dark bruise on the waist. Her both legs are fractured along withswelling.

Meanwhile, a petition has been filed with the Supreme Court Lahore Registry seeking suo motu action on the brutal torture of a teenage maid by the wife of a civil judge of Islamabad. Advocate Mudassir Chaudhry pleaded in his petition that the brutal torture of 13-year-old Rizwana by her employer had exposed a grave violation of fundamental rights. He said the victim girl was fighting for her life at a hospital due to the serious injuries received by the accused woman. He argued that the incident needed a fair and free investigation but it appeared impossible under the prevailing circumstances. He urged the apex court to take a suo motu notice of the matter so that justice could be delivered to the victim girl.