Nation again shocked, Chichawatni shut down as another minor girl raped, killed

A mentally retarded eight-year-old girl was allegedly raped and burnt alive in Chichawatni, a city located in Punjab province.

The incident led to protests in Chichawatni’s Ward 17, where outraged residents took to the streets demanding justice for the minor. All business centers and shops were closed, bringing commercial activity to a halt. 

The protesters raised slogans of "Zaalimon! khoon ka hisaab do" ["Oppressors! answer for the blood (of the child)"], as the girl's body was carried for funeral prayers.

Carrying banners appealing for justice, the protesters demanded that the culprits behind the girl's murder be hanged.

On April 8, the minor had left her house to buy sweets from a nearby shop. After she did not return home, her parents and neighbours started looking for her. Three hours later, the girl was found allegedly raped and burnt by unidentified men in Mohammadabad area of Chichawatni.

The tehsil hospital’s postmortem report of the victim revealed that the minor had been raped before she was set ablaze. Blood samples collected from the corpse have been sent to the forensic department by the hospital authorities for further confirmation.

The police registered a case against unidentified suspects under section 302. Sahiwal Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Dr Atif Ikram informed the media that a suspect had been arrested for suspicious behaviour.

He added that the police were investigating the case with a formation of a team to detain the criminals. DPO Ikram assured that stern action will be taken against the culprits.

CM takes notice

Chief Minister of Punjab (CM) Shahbaz Sharif has taken notice of the incident and directed Inspector General of Punjab to submit a report as early as possible. He has also ordered to arrest the culprits and bring them to the justice.

The minister further expressed condolences to the bereaved family and termed the mishap deplorable. He said steps have to be taken to stop such heinous crimes.

Upsurge in rape cases

Since the beginning of 2018, there has been a marked upsurge in the reporting of sexual abuse cases across the country. Earlier this year, the rape and murder of seven-year-old Zainab in Kasur left the entire nation in shock, leading to an increase in the number of sexual cases being reported. 

Zainab’s case gained international attention after the issue was raised on social media with #JusticeforZainab being the top trend in the country. 

Earlier this month, a minor girl was raped and killed in Jaranwala followed by protests and shutter down strikes in the city.