Islamabad - The Margalla police on Wednesday sent all the four accused in F-9 Park rape case to Adiala jail in Rawalpindi after taking forensic samples from the victim and the accused.

A girl was raped by a gardener of the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) on August 2 during her visit to Fatima Jinnah Park in F-9, accompanied by a male friend. The accused have been identified as Sheraz Kiani, son of Rub Nawaz Kiani, resident of Flat 9, Block 14 sector G-9/2 Islamabad being the rapist; Omar Shahzad son of Shakar Khan, resident of Khara, Neela district Chakwal; Murad Ali son of Syed Muhammad, resident of Bhag Kilay post office Sakha Kot, Tehsil Dargai district Malakand and Abdullah son of Nazar Muhammad, resident of Dargai, district Malakand as the facilitators in the crime. The police said that the accused have been sent to jail after the forensic samples were taken from the suspects for DNA profiling. In a rape case, the investigators should ensure DNA samples from the victim are collected within 72 hours from the time of the incident but in this instant, the victim approached the police after three days of the incident.

According to the details of the incident, in her early 20s, a permanent resident of district Jhelum presently staying in Satellite Town Rawalpindi, went to the park with a male friend, Hussain and was questioned by two persons; one employee of MCI, Omar Shahzad and Murad Ali, security guard of a private security company hired for the security of the park. The officials allegedly threatened the two that they would report the ‘affair’ to the police. According to the victim, she told them that she had done nothing wrong. However, they blackmailed the couple for being in the park and extorted Rs 2000 from them. Sheraz Kiani, a gardener of the MCI, entered and asked the boy to leave the park from one gate and the girl from the other. While escorting the girl to the park’s gate number 2 near kids play area, Sheraz Kiani blackmailed Mishaal and threatened to invite her family to the park to expose her ‘affair’ with the boy. He took the girl to the jungle area and raped her forcibly while the other two officials remained unmoved as she cried for help.

The incident took place 4pm, according to the police. Later, the victim was dropped at a nearby metro bus station by one of the accused who threatened her not to share the ordeal with anyone. The victim reported the matter to the police on August 6 as according to her, she was in a trauma and could not approach the police station immediately after the incident. In her application, the victim stated she was bringing the matter on record so that no other woman falls prey to such criminals in future. The MCI has terminated both Sheraz Kiani and Omar Shehzad who were on Muster Roll (temporary job).

A Margalla police official told The Nation on Wednesday that they have arrested all the suspects including the alleged rapist, Sheraz Kiani. He said that further investigation would be made in the case once the medical report comes.

Meeting: Later in the day, Chief Officer MCI, Najaf Iqbal chaired a meeting to discuss measures how to improve security for the visitors in future. Sources in the MCI told this scribe that the incident has been taken very seriously among the MCI high ups. The meeting held at the F-9 Park decided that CDA and MCI security guards would be trained to avert such incidents in future. “They would be better trained for surveillance of the premises in future. They (guards) would be provided transport as bicycle, scooty so that they could cover larger area while on duty,” said an officer privy to the decisions taken during the meeting. He assured that more cameras would be installed along the jogging tracks and other areas otherwise away from human eye and a control room would also be established to monitor the premises 24/7. The security guards would be provided with walkie talkie system in future so that they could report any suspicious activity to the control room immediately. At present, only supervisors have the wireless system. It is to mention here that security guards remain present in the park 24/7.

An official of the MCI talking to The Nation on condition of anonymity said that it is difficult to cover every nook and corner of the park as it is a vast area.

“It is very hard to keep an eye on every corner of 670 acres of the Park,” he added. However, he said that the high ups have been striving for fool-proof security of the visitors.