SHC orders police protection for family assaulted in Karachi’s DHA

• Victim, brother challenge FIR against them.
• Footage shows woman striking Noor with dumbbell.
• Family records statement before South DIG. 
  

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday ordered police to provide protection to a family subjected to violence in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) area.

Hearing a plea seeking the quashing of an FIR registered against the victim woman, Noor ul Ain, and her brother, the court also issued notices to the parties. Adjourning the hearing to September 21, the court directed the respondents to submit their replies.

The woman and her brother have challenged the FIR registered against them following the incident in DHA’s Khayaban-e-Bukhari.

The CCTV footage showed a woman coming down the stairs of the apartment building with uniformed police officers while holding a dumbbell. She was seen repeatedly striking Noor standing outside a flat.

Separately, a sessions court has issued notices to police officials on an application seeking registration of a case against those accused of assaulting the family. The hearing of the application has been adjourned until September 2.

The affected family has also recorded its statement at the office of the DIG South. DIG South Asad Raza said the matter was being investigated transparently and that the inquiry would be conducted on merit.

The viral video showed that a woman was beating Noor and when she resisted, the police officers restrained her and her companion instead of the attacker. A person in plain clothes was also seen taking an officer’s official weapon and using it to smash a CCTV camera.

Karachi Police chief Azad Khan had taken notice of the incident and sought a report regarding the alleged misconduct of police officers visible in the viral footage. He directed the relevant authorities to submit a complete account of the officers’ conduct.