KARACHI: A judicial magistrate granted bail to a five members of a family including a man accused of detaining his daughter and shaving her head as punishment for wanting to marry of her own free will.

The investigating officer (IO) presented the victim’s father, Niaz Husain; her uncle, Kaleem Husain; and three women—Zubaida, Shakeela, and Kinza Fatima—before the judicial magistrate in Malir.

The IO requested the court to remand the suspects to police custody for 14 days for further investigation, including checking their criminal records. However, the court rejected the IO’s request and granted bail to the accused against surety bonds of Rs20,000 each, along with personal bonds, as the sections invoked in the FIR were bailable offenses.

In its order, the court noted that the suspects had not complained of any maltreatment by the police.

It stated: “Since the alleged sections are bailable in nature, the accused are offered bail subject to furnishing surety bonds in the sum of Rs. 20,000 each and PR bonds of an equivalent amount.” The order further added that if the accused fail to provide the required sureties, they will be remanded to jail custody.

Naz Fatima, who works as a nurse at the Ojha campus of the DUHS, was confined to her father’s home against her will. A police team raided the house, rescued her, and took the suspects, including her father, into custody.

The victim informed the police that her paternal family had beaten her and shaved her head to prevent her from marrying someone of her choice.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2024