The incident of a 25-year-old woman who was gang-raped on a train by ticket-checker and other staffers was horrendous of its kind and is ample proof that despite false claims of puritanical society, our women are not safe alone even on public trains.

According to media reports a woman travelling from Multan to Karachi via Bahauddin Zakariya Express was allegedly gang-raped by railway staff. All three suspects involved in the heinous crime have been arrested by Railway Police. A case has been registered at the City Police Station in Karachi and ticket-checker Zahid, his alleged accomplice Train Manager Aaqib and another person identified as Zohaib have been nominated in the case.

As per the FIR, the victim, a resident of Karachi’s Orangi Town, was divorced by her husband one and half a months ago. Her husband hails from Muzaffargarh, where she had gone to visit her children on May 26. She left Muzaffargarh the very next day for Karachi but could not get a ticket from Multan station. The woman boarded the train without a ticket but got one on the train. However, she had to travel without any seat.

The victim, in her statement to the police, said that when the train left Rohri Station, Zahid approached her, offering to give her a berth in an AC (air-conditioned) compartment. The woman said the ticket-checker followed her to the compartment and sexually assaulted her while giving life threats to stay mum. Later, Aaqib and Zohaib also raped the helpless woman in the same compartment.

I must accolade the courage and conviction woman who stood up against this brutal act and registered FIR and got her assaulters apprehended. Many of these cases must not have been reported since the victim would not have preferred destroying her image in this judgmental society of ours. The offenders must be given exemplary punishments so that no one can ever dare do it again.

Nasir Soomro

Karachi Sindh

The post GANG-RAPE IN A TRAIN first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Rape and murder cases are often reported but the perpetrators are exonerated or are released on bail. Has Justice System Failed in the country? The government must amend the laws to award exemplary punishment to rapists and murderers

Public Opinion

Rapes and murders have become a common thing in our society as such incidents are increasing day by day. Few days back, I heard the story of a girl, which shattered my heart into pieces.

It was a pitch dark night when no-one saw anything and everything was as silent as a smile. A minor girl, who was taking leftover food in a tiffin-box from her master’s home for her poor family, animatedly ran quickly because she wanted to feed her loved father. On the way home, she plucked a daisy flower for her mother. When she took a few steps ahead, instantly, a gang of the people, ring-shaped her in the garden of orchids in the darkness, someone attempting to touch this little girl, she got scared of the people and tried to cry but couldn’t.

Her father became worried. He searched her for two days and went to her master’s home who told him that the girl had left for home two days ago. During the search of the girl, they at last arrived at spot where they found sleeves in the garden and collapsed tiffin. Eventually, they were able to find the body of nine-year old child.

The postmortem report of the dead body said the girl was raped and later strangulated to death. The nine suspects were arrested and they are under the custody of the police.

Such barbaric incidents of rape and murder often occur and are reported by the media but never appeared any report that the courts had ever punished the perpetrators. They either are exonerated or are released on bail. This obviously is mainly owing to failure of justice system. I strongly urge the federal as well as provincial governments to amend the laws so that the culprits could be punished.

The society is aware that rape and murder are heinous crime and the rapists and murderers must be awarded exemplary punishment. Everyone should awake and open their eyes and mind towards this grave situation.

Maria Khushk

Hyderabad, Sindh

The post Rape and Murder cases: Has Justice System Failed? first appeared on Sindh Courier.