Child raped in hospital lift, officials in denial
According to The Express Tribune, the incident occurred on July 7 at Civil Hospital Karachi. A lift operator allegedly lured a young boy attending to his ailing mother with a promise of Rs100 and took him to the third floor of the hospital's operation theatre complex, where the assault occurred.
The traumatised child later confided in his father, who confronted and physically attacked the accused, even attempting to set him on fire. Police arrested the lift operator.
The case raises serious questions about the hospital's security and CCTV surveillance system functionality. Why was the lift stationary on the third floor for an extended period without attracting attention? Why was not the incident detected on surveillance footage? Is the hospital failing to provide basic protection to vulnerable patients and attendants?
Despite the gravity of the incident, the hospital administration displays alarming indifference. Medical Superintendent Dr Khalid Bukhari refused to comment, stating the matter falls under police jurisdiction.
When asked about CCTV coverage, he replied dismissively, "There are too many lifts; how many cameras can we install?" This reflects the hospital administration's negligence and lack of seriousness.
Officials have begun deflecting blame, with the MS pointing to OT complex in-charge Dr Bilal, who shifted responsibility back to the MS. Both have refused further comment. The Express Tribune team was also denied access to the lift where the assault occurred.
There is an urgent need to strengthen monitoring and security systems in hospitals and ensure a thorough, transparent investigation into this case.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
19 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Court orders exhumation of newlywed victim's body
A court in Rawalpindi has ordered the exhumation of the 17-year-old newlywed honour killing victim's grave. The exhumation is scheduled for early morning on Monday, July 28. Sidra Bibi was allegedly murdered in the name of 'honour' in the Pirwadhai area of Rawalpindi. Civil Judge Qamar Basit Tarar ordered the exhumation. The judge will personally oversee the process. The unidentified grave will be located with the help of the arrested gravedigger, the cemetery secretary, and the rickshaw driver who transported the body. Workers from the municipal corporation will carry out the exhumation, while a team of doctors from Holy Family Hospital will conduct the post-mortem. Three suspects — gravedigger Rashid Mehmood, cemetery secretary Saifullah, and rickshaw driver Khayal Muhammad — have been remanded into police custody for three days. The court has rejected a plea by Sidra's parents to stop the exhumation, stating that the truth can only be revealed through a post-mortem. Serious charges including murder, desecration of a corpse, and evidence tampering have been added. According to investigators, Sidra was initially smothered with a pillow and then strangled. Her body was kept in a rickshaw for two hours during heavy rain and buried without a shroud or funeral prayers. Gravedigger Rashid confessed to receiving Rs20,000 to bury her secretly. Police have named 32 suspects in the case, including tribal council head Ismatullah, the victim's parents Arab Gul and Bafar Bibi, her husband Ziaur Rehman and other family members and tribal elders. Crucial evidence was recovered from the Pirwadhai cemetery office, including tampered records and surveillance footage showing the body wrapped in plastic. Police uncover cover-up Police foiled an attempt of the accused to conceal the gruesome honour killing The Express Tribune investigations revealed that Sidra's body was secretly buried without any legal procedures, Police have taken the family members, in-laws and others into custody for interrogation and legal action. According to sources connected to the police investigation, Sidra, the wife of Ziaur Rehman, went missing from her home on July 11 following domestic disputes. Ismatullah, a trader leader from Bara Market, along with Sidra's father Arab Gul and husband Ziaur Rehman, are all relatives. After Sidra disappeared, her husband and parents suspected she had a connection with a man named Usman. Acting on this suspicion, they went to Usman's house in the same area, but neither he nor Sidra were found there. On the night of July 16, Ismatullah, Sidra's father, her brother, and others traveled to Muzaffarabad. There, through a jirga and persuasion, they managed to bring Sidra back to Rawalpindi. Upon her return, a jirga was held at the home of her husband Ziaur Rehman, attended by her father Arab Gul, father-in-law Saleh Muhammad, and other relatives. The jirga was allegedly led by Ismatullah, a trader from Bara Market and a family associate. In the early hours of July 17, the jirga declared that Sidra had "lost her right to live" by leaving her home without permission. Acting on this verdict, her father, brother, and paternal uncle-in-law reportedly took her into a room and suffocated her to death using a pillow.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
Cop nabbed filming women in toilet
A serving police head constable of the Punjab Police, who was allegedly caught filming inappropriate images of women in the toilets cum restroom of the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Gujar Khan, has been formally arrested and booked in a case. A vigilant citizen intervened, caught the suspect on the spot, and handed him over to the police along with his mobile phone. According to police sources, a case has been formally registered, and an investigation is currently underway. The suspect has been identified as a police official affiliated with the Training Wing in Lahore. The First Information Report (FIR), filed by a citizen named Bilal Hussain, states that he had visited the hospital for medical treatment when he observed a man capturing images of women inside the restroom. The same individual was also reportedly seen photographing women elsewhere within the hospital premises. Growing suspicious, Bilal confronted the individual — identified as Aqeel Abbas, a resident of Rajgaan — and checked his mobile phone. It allegedly contained inappropriate photographs of women. The suspect was then detained by Bilal and handed over to the authorities. Police officials confirmed that the accused was dressed in civilian clothing at the time of the incident. A case has been registered under Sections 354, 292 and 509 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), and further investigation is in progress. Saddar SP Nabeel Khokhar confirmed that the accused is indeed a member of the Lahore Police's Training Wing. According to Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Syed Daniyal, the police received a complaint from a resident who said that the suspect, a serving head constable posted in Lahore office of Punjab Police, was allegedly involved in filming women while they were using the toilets in the hospital's wards. He said that the suspect had previously been booked for raping a widow, but the case was later dismissed after the suspect had reconciled with the victim.
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Express Tribune
DISCOs overbill consumers by Rs244b
Iesco stood on top in the wake of its plausible performance to curb losses, improve recoveries and act in line with the time frame for new connections. PHOTO: FILE An audit has unearthed a massive overbilling scam involving eight electricity distribution companies (DISCOs), which collectively extorted over Rs244 billion from consumers in an attempt to mask inefficiencies, losses and theft in the system. According to documents obtained by The Express Tribune, the audit report exposes serious financial irregularities in the operations of DISCOs in Islamabad, Lahore, Hyderabad, Multan, Peshawar, Quetta, Sukkur and the former tribal areas. The report reveals that no action was taken against any officials responsible for the illegal billing, even though overbilling was carried out systematically to cover up transmission losses, power theft and poor operational performance. In a shocking revelation, even agricultural tube wells and deceased individuals were not spared. Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO) alone sent power bills worth Rs496 million to dead customers. Additionally, zero-unit consumers were charged for over 1.22 million units. The report states that in just one month, five of these companies slapped 278,649 consumers with overbilled amounts totalling Rs47.81 billion. For the entire fiscal year 202324, consumers were billed for an extra 904.6 million electricity units. Despite the companies' claims that the overcharged amounts have been refunded, no documentary evidence was provided to audit authorities. The audit observed that these companies failed to produce any records verifying refunds, raising concerns about transparency and accountability. Among the most egregious cases was Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO), which overbilled agricultural consumers by over Rs148 billion during FY202324, purportedly to hide operational lapses. Similarly, ten DISCOs billed an additional Rs18.64 billion across 1,432 feeders. In total, Rs22 billion worth of overbilling was imposed solely to offset line losses, the audit reveals. While some refunds were issued, such as Rs5.29 billion for incorrect meter readings and Rs2.18 billion in multiple credit adjustments by Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO), the lack of supporting documentation continues to cast doubt on the credibility of these claims. Audit authorities have now formally sought clarifications from all eight DISCOs, but so far, the distribution companies have failed to provide the requested records.
