Man granted bail in child servant torture, detention case

KARACHI: A judicial magistrate granted on Friday bail to a suspect in a case pertaining to torture and detention of his 11-year-old child servant.

Police had booked Muhammad Rizwan Shaikh and his wife, Nadia, for allegedly torturing and wrongfully detaining their underage servant, Ali Asghar, at their house in city’s upscale Defence Housing Authority neighbourhood.

On Friday, the investigation officer (IO) produced the suspect, Shaikh, before the South judicial magistrate for remand while his wife was shown as an absconder in the case.

The IO said the police raided the house of the suspect and recovered the captive after his father complained that his son was not being allowed to meet him.

On the other hand, the defence lawyer sought bail for the suspect, arguing the offences were bailable.

The complainant alleged that the suspect’s wife had subjected his son to torture. Therefore, the judicial magistrate, Nazish Naz, granted bail to the suspect against a surety bond of Rs200,000.

Later, the child, Ali Asghar, told reporters that Nadia had tortured him, adding that he has been working there for one-and-a-half years and has not been paid for the last three months.

The child said his employers had not allowed him to meet his parents, who were residing in Badin.

The IO said he will produce the victim before the court on Saturday for his statement under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code. He added that raids were being carried out for the arrest of the absconding suspect.

A case was registered under Sections 337-A, 337-F (i), 342 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Darakshan police station.

Source: Dawn