PESHAWAR: Two men accused of abducting and raping a 19-year-old girl from Hayatabad were arrested from the court room on Tuesday after the rejection of their pre-arrest bail petitions.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Tala Muhammad heard the case. According to the prosecution, the complainant alleged that his daughter went to the washroom from their home but did not return. Later, an unidentified man sent him a WhatsApp message claiming that the girl was with him and that he intended to marry her.
The prosecution informed the court that, following an inquiry, a case was registered against suspects Asif and Ayub alias Syed Arif, along with others, under Sections 365 (kidnapping) and 376-B of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The defence counsel argued that the parties had reached a settlement and, therefore, the accused were entitled to pre-arrest bail. The public prosecutor contended that offences under Sections 365 and 376-B are non-compoundable and constitute crimes against society, making a private settlement insufficient to justify bail.
In its written order, the court held that merely claiming a compromise was not a sufficient legal ground to grant pre-arrest bail in a case of such a serious nature. The order stated that the accused had failed to establish any exceptional circumstances warranting interim relief.The court noted that the victim had been recovered from the custody of the accused and that her statement was already on record.
