LYARI: A 19-year-old woman from Lyari died on Wednesday after being in a coma for 20 days, following a brutal assault and alleged marital rape by her husband. The suspect, identified as Ashok, confessed to the crime before a judicial magistrate and has been sent to jail on judicial remand.
The victim, who married on June 15, was reportedly subjected to sodomy and assaulted with a metal pipe by her husband just two days after the wedding. The attack left her with severe internal injuries, and she was moved to a private hospital before being transferred to the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Trauma Centre at Civil Hospital. Despite medical efforts, she passed away on Wednesday.
The police surgeon confirmed that the medical examination showed signs of sexual violence. The FIR, filed by the victim’s brother, originally included charges under Sections 324 (attempted murder) and 376-B (rape) of the Pakistan Penal Code. With the victim’s death, the police plan to amend the FIR to include Section 302 (murder).
Despite strict anti-rape laws in Pakistan, cases of sexual violence, including assaults in domestic settings, continue to be reported. Similar incidents of marital abuse have recently emerged from various parts of Karachi and the country.
Man kills wife in brutal domestic violence act
In a separate incident, a woman named Malikiyat Bibi was found dead in her home in Orangi Town on Thursday. Police described her death as a result of brutal domestic violence. The victim’s husband, Shoaib, is the prime suspect. He allegedly attacked his wife while she was asleep, striking her on the head with a brick and later slashing her throat with a sharp object. Shoaib fled the scene after the attack. The police are investigating the case further.
