AJK policeman arrested on charges of sexually harassing students

A constable has been arrested by the Azad Jammu and Kashmir police on charges of sexually harassing two women students in the Bagh district.

The suspect, identified as Abdul Qadeer, was arrested late Sunday evening. He was deployed at the City police station. The police presented before a judicial magistrate and applied for his physical remand.

The police swung into action after social media users criticised the authorities for not taking action even after an FIR had been registered.

Two students had registered an FIR on August 7 at the Bagh police station and accused Qadeer of sexually harassing them for the last six months. They claimed that he threatened them with dire consequences if they don’t listen to him.

The complainants said that they study at a university and Qadeer had been forcing them to connect him with more students.

“He [Qadeer] threatened us to defame us and take our lives if we don’t comply with his demands,” one of the women said. He got hold of our ID cards, education certificates, and cellphones, she added.

According to them, Qadeer used to say that he will use his influence in the police department against them. They requested the police to take strict action against the policeman.

Sources have said that Qadeer was arrested while he was trying to flee from Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Investigation Officer Muhammad Asghar told SAMAA Digital that the cellphone of the suspect has been recovered and sent to a laboratory for its forensic examination. He remarked that the suspect has confessed too.

The IO later clarified that the students were studying at a college and not a university.