The 13-year-old Arzoo Masih has been recovered by the police and her 44-year-old husband was arrested by the Anti-Violent Crime Cell on the complaint of the victim’s father.
A local magistrate has granted police three-day physical remand of the 44-year-old suspect named Syed Ali Azhar and ordered to submit DNA report and other evidence at the next hearing.
Ali Azhar was presented before a magistrate and during the hearing, the suspect claimed that Arzoo Masih married the man of her own free will but it is pertinent to mention that this goes against the Sindh’s Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2013.
Previously, the court ordered to shift Arzoo Masih to a shelter home on the request of her father until the next hearing that is scheduled for Thursday.
Read more: 13-year-old Arzoo being shifted to shelter home.
About Arzoo Raja Masih Case
Justice for Arzoo Masih started to trend on social media after the 13-year-old girl was kidnapped from outside her home in Karachi and forced to convert and marry a man almost thrice her age.
The incident took place on October 13 when both her parents were at work but they rushed to the police station upon hearing the news and filed a report.
Both parents were summoned by police two days later and presented with documents claiming that their daughter, Arzoo Raja Masih, had converted to Islam and married a 44-year-old man.
The documents that were presented before the parents were forged and showed the age of the minor girl was 18 to justify the marriage with a man almost thrice her age.
However, the victim’s parents presented the original documents showing the real age of Arzoo Raja as 13 years old and the court will now decide whether she was freely converted to Islam and married the 44-year-old man.
It is pertinent to mention that no person under the age of 18 can get married as per the law.
Read more: Justice for Hareem Shah – 2 year old raped & murdered.
