Rawalpindi Police Probe Alleged Assault of 13-Year-Old Street Vendor
RAWALPINDI: Police have registered a case and launched an investigation after a 13-year-old girl who sells flowers and toys in Rawalpindi's Chaklala area was allegedly sexually assaulted while returning home. Authorities said raids were being conducted to arrest the suspect named in the complaint filed by the child's father.
According to police, the case was registered on the father's application after the family learned about the alleged incident. The complainant told investigators that he and his 16-year-old son work as dishwashers at a wedding hall, while his 13-year-old daughter contributes to the household by selling flowers and toys in the Chaklala area.
The complaint states that the girl was on her way home after selling flowers and toys when a rickshaw driver known in the neighbourhood offered her a ride. Police said the allegation concerns events that followed during that journey. NewsNexus24 is withholding unnecessary identifying details because the complainant is a minor and the accusations remain subject to investigation and legal proceedings.
The father told police that the child was allegedly threatened and warned not to tell anyone about what had happened. According to the complaint, she later disclosed the incident to a cousin, who informed her father. The family subsequently approached authorities and requested legal action.
Police confirmed that an FIR has been registered on the father's complaint and that investigators have begun pursuing the case. Officers said raids were under way to locate and arrest the accused. No arrest had been announced at the time of the report, and the allegations have not yet been tested before a court.
The investigation will now focus on locating the suspect and gathering evidence connected with the complaint. Statements and other material collected by investigators will form part of the police inquiry before the case proceeds further through the criminal justice process. Authorities have not publicly announced additional findings beyond confirming registration of the case and the continuing search for the accused.
Because the case involves a child, the identity and privacy of the complainant remain particularly sensitive. The available police account identifies the family circumstances and the sequence through which the alleged incident was reported, but it does not establish criminal responsibility on its own. Any determination regarding the accused will depend on the investigation and subsequent legal proceedings.
Police raids for the suspect remain the immediate next step. Further developments are expected to depend on whether an arrest is made and what evidence investigators obtain as they examine the allegations contained in the FIR.