Judicial magistrate suspended after being accused of raping woman in his chambers

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court suspended a senior judicial magistrate in Sehwan on Saturday after a woman accused him of raping her in his chambers.

According to an order of the Sindh High Court, the civil judge has been suspended for 'misconduct' and has been directed to report to the High Court with immediate effect.

Meanwhile, SHC Chief Justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh has ordered an official inquiry into the matter.

The rape allegations first came forward after the judicial magistrate took up the case of the woman who had eloped with a man to Sehwan. The couple from Shahdadkot had eloped after facing resistance from their family against their marriage.

On January 13, the couple's relatives arrived at the guest house in Sehwan, but the matter was eventually taken to Sehwan police who took the couple into custody.

Police later presented the woman before the court of the judicial magistrate to record her statement.

Later, in her complaint to the police, the woman alleged that the judicial magistrate sexually assaulted her after directing the lady police officers accompanying her to leave his chambers.

Following the allegations, police took the victim to the Syed Abdullah Shah Institute of Medical Sciences in Sehwan for a medical check-up, which confirmed the woman was raped.

According to a senior police official, who spoke to Geo News on the condition of anonymity, an inquiry has already been conducted by a district and sessions judge who confirmed that the allegations of the civil judge sexually assaulting the woman in his chambers.

The sessions judge, in his findings, had recommended disciplinary action against the civil judge.

It is pertinent to mention here that police is yet to register a First Information Report against the civil judge and he is, at the moment, only suspended from performing his duties as a judicial magistrate.

The judge will continue to draw his salary during the period of his suspension, the SHC said.