KARACHI: A judicial magistrate granted on Friday bail to a suspect in a case pertaining to torture and detention of his 11-year-old child servant.

Mohammad Rizwan Shaikh and his wife Nadia have been booked for allegedly torturing and wrongfully detaining their underage servant Ali Asghar at their house in Defence Housing Authority.

Police produced the suspect before the court of a judicial magistrate (south) for remand while his wife was shown as an absconder in the case.

The investigating officer submitted that police raided the house of the suspect and recovered the captive after his father complained that his son was not being allowed to meet him.

The defence lawyer argued that bail may be granted to his client since the offences were bailable. The complainant informed the court that the suspect`s wife had subjected his son to torture.

Judicial magistrate Nazish Naz granted bail to the suspect against a surety bond of Rs200,000.

After the hearing, Ali Asghar told reporters that his madam had tortured him, adding that he has been working there for one-and-a-half years and has not been paid for the last three months. He further said that his employers had not allowed him to meet his parents, who were residing in Badin.

The IO said that he will produce the victim before the court on Saturday for his statement under Section 164 of the CrPC.

A case was lodged against the couple under Sections 337-A (i) (punishment of shajjah), 337-F (i) (punishment of ghayr-jafifah), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code at Darakshan police station.

Meanwhile, Sindh Minister for Social Welfare Shamim Mumtaz asked the newly appointed director general of Sindh Child Protection Authority (SCPA) to take urgent measures to establish divisional offices of the authority with its headquarters in Karachi, adds APP.

The minister said that divisional offices should be set up in Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur and Larkana so as to provide protection to children in case of need in line with international human rights treaties and conventions ratiHed by Pakistan, accordingto a statement issued here on Friday.

Ms Mumtaz expressed these views in an introductory meeting with SCPA DG Abdul Wahid Laghari at her office.