Journalist arrested on ‘attempted rape’ charges

While his family remained unknown about the reason behind the arrest, the Market police produced Abdul Ghafoor Sarohi before a court on Friday morning and obtained his two-day physical remand.But the custody turned out to be short-lasting as he was released before midnight and the FIR against him was also reduced to c-class, which pertains to admitting mistake in initial police investigation.

The family and neighbours of Abdul Ghafoor Sarohi told the media that around 20 policemen broke into their apartment in Qasimabad at around 3am by damaging their metal gate and took away Sarohi.The family claimed to have remained in the dark about the cause of his apprehension until he was produced before a court in the morning in a case of an alleged rape attempt on a woman.

"Police attacked my brother's home.

Our family and neighbours kept asking the police about the reason for his arrest but they only replied that they had been ordered by the SSP," said Qayum Sarohi, younger brother.

He lamented that his brother was rounded up in a manner as if he was a terrorist.The journalist was booked in an FIR at Market police station on October 8 on the complaint of Sanam, wife of Rahib Mallah, who lives in Silawat Para locality in a rented house.She accused Sarohi and an unknown person for attempting to rape her at her house at around 1am on October 5.

The FIR was registered on October 8 and Sarohi was apprehended.Sanam claimed that Sarohi dragged her in the street and tore her clothes.

He, however, ran away with the other suspect on their motorbike moments later after she began to scream.The complainant alleged in the FIR that Sarohi used to give her life threats while repeatedly asking her for meetings.

The police kept Sarohi in the CIA centre after his arrest and he was shifted to the same place after grant of the two-day physical remand.

The journalist complained before the judge for being tortured during custody after which the court ordered his physical checkup.Sarohi's family and friends besides some media workers, lawyers and civil society activists, who held a protest outside the SSP office, alleged that the FIR was fake.

Senior lawyer, advocate Sajjad Ahmed Chandio, said while talking to The Express Tribune that "mere registration of an FIR or allegation [thereof] isn't the only ground to arrest anyone".Advocate Aslam Laghari who accompanied Sarohi in the court called for instituting a transparent inquiry which should be conducted by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

He described Hyderabad police as partisan for having allegedly managed a fake FIR.

He deplored that Sarohi was brought in the court handcuffed as if he was a terrorist.