Maid torture case: civil judge’s wife sent on judicial remand

ISLAMABAD: A district and session court on Tuesday sent Somia Asim — the wife of a civil judge — to jail on 14-day judicial remand in a case pertaining to the alleged torture of an underage domestic worker in the capital.

The suspect was booked in the case after she was accused of severely torturing a teenage maid, who was moved to the Lahore General Hospital in critical condition on July 24.

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Yesterday, a district and sessions court in Islamabad had rejected Somia’s the pre-arrest bail application and ordered police to arrest her.

Earlier today, the suspect was produced before Judicial Magistrate Shaista. At the outset of the hearing, the judge inquired why the investigation officer (IO) had sought a physical remand of the accused.

The IO replied by saying that officials still had to investigate.

“According to the law, on what section is the physical remand of a woman granted?” the judge asked. To which the investigation officer replied by saying that a physical remand can be granted if the crime committed is heinous.

At this, the judge replied: “The law only allows to grant physical remand of a woman in two cases. When the woman is nominated as a murderer or in a murder case.”

The prosecution lawyer contended before the court that receipts pertaining to the trauma inflicted on the young girl had to be collected.

At this, the defence counsel interjected saying that they have been accused of hiring the young girl as a servant. “She was not a servant at our house,” he said.

Judge Kundi directed the lawyer to obtain the video from the safe city cameras. “I can’t give you a physical remand over the media hype surrounding the case,” the judge said, adding that she was ready to cooperate.

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Subsequently Somia was called to the rostrum. The civil judge’s wife said she was a mother of three children.

“This torture should not be done. They called me at 1130pm last night and mentally tortured me.”

The judge order said that the record showed that “recovery has been effected from the accused” when she was in custody.

It further said that the suspect was a female and the alleged offences did not fall under “qatal and dacoity” for which she had exemption under Section 167(5) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Subsequently, the suspect was sent to jail and authorities were directed to present her on August 22, while the IO was also told to submit a report.