Main accused in couple torture and sexual assault case Usman Mirza and four others were awarded life in jail by a court in Islamabad on Friday, reported 24NewsHD TV channel. 

The other accused who were also awarded life terms were Mohib Bangash, Adaras Qayyum Butt, Hafiz Ata-ur-Rehman and Farhan Shaheen. However, two co-accused Umar Bilal and Rehan were acquitted. 

Additional Sessions Judge Atta Rabbani announced the reserved verdict in the case of torture on a boy and a girl in Islamabad’s E-11 sector.

Accused Farhan Shaheen was also produced in the court who told the judge that he was innocent as he was not present at the crime scene.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Usls-U1HmQ

It is to be noted here that the federal government itself pursued the case after the couple on January 11 last deviated from their previous statement of torture and sexual assault of them by the accused.

The court cross-examined 21 witnesses during the trial which lasted for more than five and a half months. The witnesses also included three officials of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhary welcomed the conviction of the accused by the court despite deviation of the couple from their previous statement.

He termed the court verdict a good example of accepting modern technology as evidence.

“Only those societies climb up the ladder of development where there is justice,” Fawad maintained and added that the government was close to dispense justice in Sialkot lynching and other cases.

It is also worth mentioning here that a case was registered against the accused at the Golra police station after the video of a boy and a girl being tortured by them went viral on social media in July 2021.

During the earlier hearing on March 15, counsel for Usman Mirza had said that the retraction of the victims from their statements was uncalled for and the judiciary cannot be ridiculed in such a manner.

When Additional Sessions Judge Atta Rabbani heard the case, co-accused Bilal Marwat’s lawyer Sher Afzal Marwat said that they were neither part of any deal nor want to take advantage of the boy and girl's statement. “There was no case against us on merit. Therefore, we would like to be given benefits on merit and acquitted of the case,” he added.

On the other hand, Usman Mirza had filed a written petition against the ill-treatment of a jail official. In the plea, Usman Mirza had said that constable Safdar used foul language against him. The constable posted in the jail also appeared in the court and denied the allegations.

Reporter Ehtisham Kiyani