Court denies bail to doctor in teenage bride's marital rape, torture case

A Karachi court has cancelled the interim pre-arrest bail granted to a doctor in a case related to the alleged marital rape and torture of a newly married teenage girl, who died after remaining in a coma for more than two weeks.

Judge Abdul Zahoor Chandio revoked the interim bail of Dr Muhammad Rauf.

According to the prosecution, the accused doctor allegedly failed to report the incident to the police when the victim was first brought to him for treatment and colluded with the victim’s husband in concealing the crime.

It claimed that the doctor obtained an affidavit from the suspects, assuring that they would not report the matter to law enforcement authorities.

The defence counsel, however, argued that there was no specific allegation against the doctor in the FIR. He maintained that his client was called upon solely to examine and treat the victim in his professional capacity as a medical practitioner. During surgery, the doctor realised that the victim had sustained life-threatening injuries, which required medico-legal formalities, the defence lawuer added.

On July 24, a 19-year-old woman died at Dr. Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) after remaining in a coma for more than two weeks. She had reportedly suffered severe torture and sexual violence allegedly at the hands of her husband.