Woman caned for claiming paternity of her child

Tue, May 26th, 2009

Dhaka, May 25 (bdnews24.com)—A young woman is groaning with pain at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital after being caned in public on a fatwa for claiming paternity of her child.

The woman, whose name would not be disclosed for security reasons, said at the directive of the so-called religious leaders, the influential persons of a village at Biteswar Union of Daudkandi in Comilla subjected her to 39 whipping on Friday

Lying at the hospital bed, the victim told reporters that the influential persons of the village called arbitration in presence of the religious leaders when she claimed the paternity of her six-year-old son .

She said she claimed one Abdul Karim of the same village to be the father but Karim denied by touching the Koran.

The woman was called a liar and at the religious leader's orders, one Shaheed driver of the village caned her 39 whippings.

She demanded DNA testing of Karim.

Her father said she had developed a relation with Karim of the same village and gave birth to the child.

They moved from door to door with the claim of paternity of the child and there were much arbitration without any result, he said

Daudkandi police chief Moshiur Rahman told bdnews24.com, "Three out of the six accused were arrested upon a case filed by the father of the victim"

The arrestees are Moulana Abul Kashem,55, Abdul Karim, 35, and Shah Alam, 50.

The police are trying to catch the other accused in the case, Rahman said

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