An Islamabad district and sessions court have denied the post-arrest bail plea of Somia Asim, the wife of a civil judge, in a case regarding the alleged torture of an underage domestic worker. The victim, a teenage maid, was admitted to Lahore General Hospital in critical condition on July 24.
The girl’s medical report revealed several injuries, including lacerations on various parts of her body, fractures, bruises, and an attempt at strangulation. Initially, the FIR only included charges of criminal intimidation and wrongful confinement, but additional sections, including attempted murder, were later added.
Somia was arrested on August 7 after her pre-arrest bail application was rejected. She then filed a post-arrest bail plea, claiming innocence and stating that the allegations against her were baseless and exaggerated. The suspect’s lawyer also highlighted irregularities in the investigation.
Judicial Magistrate Shaista Kundi presided over the hearing. The victim’s lawyer requested more time to prepare arguments, but the judge insisted on proceeding immediately. The suspect’s lawyer requested additional documents, including the medical exam report conducted in Sargodha. He also presented CCTV footage showing the girl in apparent good health.
The victim’s mother confirmed that they interacted with Somia and the driver during drop-offs, expressing concern about her daughter’s work. The prosecutor cautioned against fabricating arguments. The judge assured that justice would be served and questioned the suspect’s lawyer about the responsible party for the injuries. The lawyer suggested that the girl’s habit of eating sand may have caused rashes and dismissed the severity of the injuries.
The suspect’s lawyer claimed to have pictures of the girl enjoying time with the civil judge’s family at Torkham border. However, he did not have the photos at the moment but promised to provide them later. He argued that Somia provided financial aid to the girl’s parents and asserted that the child was not employed by Somia.
The prosecutor argued against the assumptions made by the defense lawyer and emphasized the hospital staff’s role in reporting the case. He requested forensic examination of the CCTV footage and urged the court to reject the suspect’s bail plea. The court reserved the verdict and asked for copies of court orders to be submitted.