RAWALPINDI: Police on Wednesday arrested the principal of a private academy on charges of repeatedly raping a Grade 10 student and forcing her to undergo an abortion.
The student, a resident of Khayaban-i-Sir Syed in Pirwadhai, filed a first information report (FIR) on Monday under Sections 376(i) (rape) and 338A (Isqat-i-haml) of the Pakistan Penal Code. She alleged that the principal raped her multiple times and forced her to terminate a pregnancy.
In her complaint, the girl stated that the accused, who was childless, had offered to marry her while she was still a student. She said she asked him to speak to her parents, but instead he convinced her that he would help secure good marks in her matriculation exams, pressuring her into physical relations.
The victim said the man first raped her in his office. When she became pregnant, he gave her medicine for an abortion rather than marrying her. She alleged he continued to assault her, impregnated her again, and later refused marriage while subjecting her to torture.
Police said the suspect was taken into custody immediately after the complaint and that the victim’s medical examination had been initiated. Rawalpindi SP Rawal Arshad said a strong challan would be filed to ensure exemplary punishment. “Violence, abuse or harassment against women and children is unacceptable,” he added.
Earlier, Human Rights Minister and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar ordered an “immediate and transparent” investigation into the case and called for the suspect’s swift arrest. “Justice for the affected student must be ensured under all circumstances,” he said.
Under Section 376 of the Penal Code, rape carries a punishment of death, life imprisonment, or a jail term of not less than 10 and not more than 25 years, along with a fine.
