Court orders police to record statement of woman who accused Babar Azam of sexual assault
Woman's statement to be recorded under Section 154 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, says court
- Lahore court ordered police to record the statement of woman who hurled serious allegations against Pakistan cricket skipper Babar Azam
- Court said police must record the woman's statement under Section 154 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, saying that it is "a sensitive matter and the police should take immediate action as per the law"
- Woman had alleged Babar Azam of "tricking her into love, torturing her, and taking money from her"
LAHORE: A sessions court has directed Naseerabad police to record the statement of the woman who accused Pakistan cricket captain Babar Azam of sexually assaulting her, it emerged on Thursday.
The woman, identified as Hamiza Mukhtar, had filed a petition against Azam at the sessions court in December 2020, in which she claimed to be the batsman's neighbour and old school mate.
Read more:Lahori woman accuses Babar Azam of abuse, sexual violence
She said the cricketer had "tricked her into love" and "tortured" her when she demanded he marries her. She further alleged that she financially supported Azam when he was a "struggling cricketer," adding that she spent "millions of rupees on him".
A counsel for the petitioner argued before the court that Babar Azam allegedly raped their client under the false pretext of marriage.
"The petitioner and Babar were in love and had illicit relations, and she got pregnant out of the relationship in 2015", the woman's counsel said, adding that the accused, "in connivance with his friends, managed an abortion."
Issuing a ruling on the petition, Lahore Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Naeem directed the police to record the statement of the woman under Section 154 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, saying that it was "a sensitive matter and the police should take immediate action as per the law."
The court also ordered Hamiza to appear before the assigned Station House Officer (SHO) and get her statement recorded.
Neither Babar Azam nor the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued any official statements regarding the matter.
Related: Woman who accused Babar Azam of 'sexual assault' did not provide concrete evidence, say police