Mirpurkhas SHO accused of raping young mother seeking child’s custody

HYDERABAD: A 24-year-old woman from Punjab has accused a Station House Officer (SHO) in Mirpurkhas of raping her after she approached the police for help in recovering her minor daughter, Express Tribune reported on Monday.

The officer has been suspended and a case registered against him, while investigations are underway.

According to officials, Mirpurkhas police lodged an FIR on Saturday against SHO Mir Khadim Talpur of Mehran Police Station following the woman’s complaint. The report also includes ASI Faisal Mahar, who was allegedly complicit in the crime.

A local court on Sunday granted police a four-day physical remand of ASI Mahar, while the prime suspect, SHO Talpur, remains at large.

In her statement, the woman said she had gone to the Mehran Police Station seeking assistance to recover her daughter, Alisha, who lives with her ex-husband in Umerkot district. She alleged that during her last visit, the SHO promised to help but instead took her to an undisclosed location, where he raped her.

The complainant added that she was later returned to the police station in a vehicle driven by another man. Following the report, SSP Mirpurkhas Sumer Noor Channa suspended the SHO, who has since gone into hiding, while ASI Mahar has been arrested.

Police have collected DNA samples from both the accused and the complainant, which have been sent to the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, for forensic testing. Clothing reportedly worn by the SHO during the assault has also been seized as evidence.

An initial medical examination conducted at Civil Hospital Mirpurkhas found no external signs of physical injury, but officials said the final report will depend on forensic results.

DSP Satellite Town Aslam Jagirani, who is heading the inquiry, stated that the victim had earlier submitted an application to the DIG Mirpurkhas for help in retrieving her daughter. The officer said the SHO had made two failed attempts to recover the child before allegedly misusing the woman’s contact details.

“She was summoned to the police station around 10pm on the night of the incident,” Jagirani said, adding that investigators are also examining the role of the driver who transported the victim.