Judge who employed Tayyaba barred from judicial duties

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Islamabad High Court and other judges barred additional session judge Islamabad Raja Khurram Ali Khan from judicial duties, a notification said Thursday, after a tortured maid was recovered from his residence earlier this month.

Khurram has been directed to serve as an OSD immediately in IHC, according to the notification.

The Supreme Court earlier decided that 10-year-old Tayyaba will stay at Pakistan Sweet Homes, an orphanage, till her parents are identified.

A man named Azam arrived at the Supreme Court claiming to be Tayyaba's father. He told the CJ that he had three children of which Tayyaba was his eldest.

During the proceedings today, the CJ asked Azam when had he sent Tayyaba away for work.

Tayyaba's medical report was submitted to the court. According to the report, 22 torture marks were found on 10-year-old’s body, including marks from bruises and burns.

A wound measuring one square centimetre was also found next to her right eye. The report also stated that the maid suffers from mental stress but her condition is improving gradually.

The case of the alleged torture of the maid caught the media's attention after she was recovered from the residence of Additional Sessions Judge Raja Khurram Ali Khan, earlier this month.

The minor girl, whose face and hands bore torture marks, had initially denied being hurt by her employers. She told the police that she got a wound to her eye after falling from the stairs, while her hand was also burnt accidentally.

However, the poor girl narrated her ordeal after being politely inquired by a female magistrate later. She stated before the magistrate that she was beaten and her hand was burnt on the stove for losing the broom.

Things took a turn, the matter was settled out of court last week and, according to the child’s father, the parents had forgiven the actions in the way of the Almighty.

The Chief Justice took suo moto notice of the case, however, the child and her father mysteriously disappeared then.

After the Supreme Court ordered that the child be produced in court, police sprung into action. Tayyaba was recovered from the suburbs of Islamabad on Sunday.