A Lahore court on Saturday allowed the Sindh police to detain Dua Zehra, a Karachi-based girl who was reported to have been abducted in April and later found to have fled to Punjab and was taken from Lahore to Karachi. transferred.
A day earlier, a Karachi court had directed the Investigating Officer (IO) to give birth to him From Darul Aman in Lahore, where he had taken refuge. The judge had directed the investigating officer to produce the girl without any default along with the child protection officer on August 1.
“Aziza Sultana LHC along with Police Inspector Muhammad Ali is allowed to take custody of Dua Zehra from Shelter Home, Lahore, to be produced before the trial court for directing her to stay at the Shelter Home, Karachi, or any appropriate order may be passed. As the case may be,” read the order of the court issued by Judicial Magistrate Rizwan Ahmed, a copy of which is available with don.com,
It said the inspector had earlier filed an application for grant of custody of Dua in compliance with the orders of the Karachi court, adding that the Sindh High Court had also ordered his stay. transferred to the city.
Accepting the request, the judge ruled that Ali and Sultana were responsible for Dua’s safe custody and that she was produced in a Karachi court with all precautionary measures.
He further ordered the police to ensure that no one is allowed to meet him until he is produced before the Judicial Magistrate in Karachi.
court case
Dua’s parents on April 16 filed The first information report alleges that their daughter was kidnapped when she left the house to dispose of some garbage. The incident had particularly created an uproar on social media, prompting the authorities to take notice.
About 10 days later, on April 26, there was a teenager. found from Okara. In a video statement that day, Dua had said that she was not kidnapped and had married Zaheer of her own free will.
He said that he left the house of his own free will. She said, “I married of my own free will. Nobody forced me. I am happy with my husband here. For God’s sake, don’t bother me.”
Dua had also claimed that her parents were lying about her age.
Thereafter, she and Zaheer approached the Lahore District and Sessions Court and filed a petition against Dua’s father and cousin.
Meanwhile, the police had also filed a petition in the court seeking to send Dua to Darul Aman. However, the magistrate denied requested and allowed the teenager “to go where she wanted”.
Dua’s parents, on the other hand, were adamant that their daughter was kidnapped and said that she was forced to give a statement.
The teenager’s father had also approached the SHC in May with a petition against Punjab Court’s order Kazmi had said in the petition that according to her educational, birth certificate and other records, Dua was 13 years old and it was illegal to marry a minor under the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act 2013.
He had demanded the court to conduct a medical examination of his daughter. In subsequent days, Karachi police repeatedly failed to produce the teenager in court the anger of the judges,
On 6th June, SHC ordered An ossuary to determine the age of Dua. He was also sent to a shelter home for some time after he refused to meet his parents.
Two days later, the court ruled that the teenager had the freedom to decide who she wanted to be with. During the hearing, the IO filed his report along with an age certificate issued by the Office of the Police Surgeon, stating that as per the opinion of the doctors and the Radiology Department of the Civil Hospital, the bone age of the alleged abductor was 16 to 16 years. was in between. 17 years old.
In its order, the bench observed that the petition had served its purpose as it was only to the extent of the whereabouts of the alleged minor/abductor.
Later, Kazmi challenged the decision in the Supreme Court, which had asked him to approach the respective forums for constitution of a medical board. Subsequently, a judicial magistrate in Karachi ordered the formation of another board to determine Dua’s age.
Medical board on 4th July concluded That Dua’s age was between 15 and 16 years. In the report, the medical board concluded that the general consensus was that Dua’s total age was between 15-16 years, closer to 15 based on physical examination and teeth.
In a dramatic turn, the police on 16 July informed A sessions court in Karachi said 24 people, including Zaheer, were found to be involved in abducting her from Karachi and transferring her to Punjab, where they carried out illegal child marriages.
After this, Dua approached the Lahore Court on 19 July. to request Darul Aman was to be sent citing “constant threats” from her parents, while also underlining that she was “not on good terms” with Zaheer. The court accepted his application and he was shifted to the shelter home.