Rizwana torture case: Judge’s wife Somia sent to jail on judicial remand

Islamabad: The Islamabad District and Sessions Court rejected the plea for a physical remand of Somia Asim and sent her to jail on judicial remand on Tuesday.

The administrative officer of the Islamabad Judicial Complex and his wife, Somia Asim, are accused of torturing teenage domestic servant Rizwana. The matter was being heard in court.

The prosecution’s request for physical remand of Somia Asim was rejected, and the court announced its reserved verdict on her physical remand application.

The court sent Somia Asim to jail on judicial remand. It also directed the police to produce the suspect again on August 22.

Earlier, during the hearing, Somia said in the court that because of her awful media trial, she wanted to die by suicide.“I have no such role in this case as is being presented,” she claimed.

Somia’s lawyer asked the court to forbid the media from making videos of the suspect. The court also allowed Somia to meet her family members for 10 minutes.

Judge Shaista Kundi remarked that the law allows physical remand of a woman suspect only in two cases: attempted murder and murder.

The prosecutor said they had to collect the receipts of wages paid to the teenage domestic worker.

The defence lawyer denied that the girl was ever employed by his client. The judge said even if they had to get a video they should get it from the Safe City Authority. “I cannot grant you a physical remand based on media hype only,” Judge Kundi remarked.

Somia told the court she was ready to cooperate in every way, urging that she not be tortured as she was also a mother of three.

She accused the investigators of mentally torturing her after summoning her at 11:30pm. The investigating officer clarified that no such thing happened.

The judge also asked the prosecution why they were asking for a remand.

Earlier, Judge's wife Somia Asim has been arrested on Monday outside the court following the orders of District and Sessions Court of Islamabad in housemaid Rizwana torture case.

According to details, Judge Farrukh Farid of the District and Sessions Court rejected the bail application of the accused and ordered her arrest.

Judge Farrukh heard the torture case against the accused Somia Asim who appeared in the court along with her lawyer.

The lawyer of the judge's wife and accused told the court that his client Somia had handed over the little girl safely to her mother.

The court inquired from Somia's lawyer that where is the record of the case against the accused? On which the lawyer of the accused said that Somia appeared before the JIT and expressed her innocence.

Lawyer also said: “Police wrote in the record that accused Somia did not commit violence, she kept repeating to send the maid back. However, the girl was sitting at the bus stop for 2.5 hours and she could not get up at that time”.

Soumya's lawyer told the court that she safely handed over the girl to her mother. joint investigation team (JIT) has called the girl's mother and the driver this afternoon, it is better to wait till evening as JIT’s investigation will be completed.

The court remarked that it is not possible to adjourn the case until the report of JIT.

The video in USB was presented to the court by the lawyer of the accused after which the judge inquired whether the girl was sitting on the front seat, on which the lawyer of the accused said: “Yes, the girl was sitting on the front seat”.