Rawalpindi   -   A court on Thursday awarded death penalty to a man for the rape of a five-year-old girl. 

The Additional District and Sessions judge Jahangir Ali Gondal sentenced Munir Ahmed to death for the crime committed in January 2020 in Ratta Amral, the limits of Police Station Ratta Amral.

The court also imposed fine of Rs500,000 besides ordering him to pay Rs500,000 as compensation to the victim family. The accused had lured the girl away from her house on the pretext of giving her chocolates and had raped her, according to police.  The father of girl got registered a rape case against the accused while police held him.

“This court held Munir guilty of the charges of rape and sentenced him to death,” said a prosecution lawyer.

Meanwhile, City Police Officer Muhammad Ahsan Younas has lauded the court verdict saying Rawalpindi police have been adopting a zero tolerance policy against accused involved in child abuse cases. He said the legal wing of police under supervision of SSP Investigation Muhammad Faisal Kamran had produced ample proofs against accused before court.

Separately, an anti-terrorism court special judge had rejected pre-arrest bail of an accused involved in demanding extortion while impersonating official of anti-graft body and OGRA from owner of a petrol agency at Girja Road.

Anti-Terrorism Court Number 1 Special Judge Shaukat Kamal Dar has dismissed bail application of Imran Mani and ordered police to arrest him.

Saddar Bairooni police had booked Imran Mani along with three of his accomplices on offences of torturing and demanding extortion from Raja Ikram Ul Haq the owner of Petrol Agency while impersonating officers of Anti-Corruption Department and OGRA.

Chaudhry Asad Umer Advocate appeared before the court on behalf of applicant and argued that Imran Mani along with his gang is involved in collecting extortion from traders under garb of media men and officers of OGRA and anti-corruption department. 

He added the gang is notorious and was involved in a series of crimes of similar nature. He pleaded the court to cancel his pre-arrest bail application.

The defence lawyer opposed the arguments of prosecution saying his client was innocent and the court should drop the provision of extortion offences from the case. He pleaded the court to grant his client bail.

After conclusion of arguments of both parties, ATC No 1 Special Judge Shaukat Kamal Dar rejected the pre-arrest bail of Imran Mani and ordered police to arrest the accused.