Judge, wife jailed for torturing 10-year-old
Khan also fined Rs50,000 over rough treatment of minor employed as maid
The Islamabad High Court yesterday sentenced a former additional district and sessions judge and his wife to a year in prison in the child maid torture case, which sparked a public outcry December 2016.
The court also imposed a Rs50,000 (Dh1,585) fine on Raja Khurram Ali Khan and wife Maheen Zafar.
They were arrested after the verdict was given.
They were charged with assaulting, confining, illtreating, abandoning and harming the minor.
The two were sentenced for their involvement in keeping the then 10-year-old Tayyaba in wrongful confinement, burning her hand over a missing broom, beating her and detaining her in a storeroom, and threatening her with “dire consequences”.
The couple had pleaded not guilty. Khan said he would challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court and filed a bail plea, which was approved. The bail would be valid for seven days, the court ruled.
Neighbours’ complaints
Statements of 19 prosecution witnesses were recorded, including that of Tayyaba’s parents.
The case of Tayyaba first came to light after photos of the tortured child began circulating on social media.
On December 29, 2016, Tayyaba was recovered from the house after complaints of torture from neighbours and a first information report was filed against her employers.