Teenage girl ‘gang-raped’ in Surjani Town house robbery

In what appears to be a horrifying incident, a teenage girl was allegedly gang-raped in the late Sunday hours by armed robbers during a robbery in Karachi’s Surjani Town.

The incident took place at a house in Surjani Town Sector 7-A within the jurisdiction of the Surjani Town police station where two armed men entered and held the family members hostage at gunpoint.

The family told police that two robbers had entered their house but they also suspect that another robber remained outside during the robbery. Police told The News that the family did not clearly state that the girl was raped as they appeared not comfortable in openly talking about it but they hinted at a sexual assault on the girl.

The two robbers stole cash and a gold nose pin from the house before they allegedly raped the girl. After completing their swift operation, they successfully fled the scene. Police said that when they reached the house on Sunday night after the robbery, they got clues about possible rape, due to which they took the girl to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital but she could not be examined due to unavailability of a female medico-legal officer (MLO) at the hospital.

Her medical examination was then carried out on Monday morning. The female MLO obtained DNA samples. The MLO told police that the girl was apparently subjected to rape but that would be confirmed through the DNA and chemical examination reports.

Police said that when a member of the family went out to buy milk, the door was left open. It was then the suspects barged into the house. They stole cash amounting to Rs24,000 and jewellery.

“We have placed a section of gang rape but waiting for the DNA and medical report,” Surjani Town SHO Haji Sanaullah said. “We will remove the gang rape’s section in the FIR if medical and DNA reports come out to be negative.”

In the meantime, SSP West Suhai Aziz also reached the house and assured the family that justice would be served in the case. She also directed the SHO to conduct a speedy and transparent investigation into the incident.

An FIR No 232/22 was registered against unidentified suspects under the sections 392, 397, 376 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code. No arrest had been made till this story was filed in the late Monday hours.

Cases of rape during a robbery have been reported from the city in recent years. On March 3, 2021, the West Zone police claimed to have arrested five men who belonged to a gang that raped women during house robberies.

The suspects were identified as Shayan, alias Shani, Imad, Daniyal Chand, Shan Masih and James, alias Jimmy. Police officials said that on January 28, 2021, the suspects had gang-raped a woman during a house robbery in Hassan Brohi Goth. The officials added that during the interrogation, the suspects admitted to gang-raping women during three house robberies in Surjani Town.