Viral footage captures harassment incident as police investigate alleged attack on music academy
Police vehicles parked in front of the district central hospital in Muzaffargarh, Punjab, on July 29, 2015. Photo: Reuters
CCTV and mobile phone videos have emerged showing a woman being harassed by a large crowd outside a music academy in Nazimabad No. 3, prompting the police to register a criminal case and launch an investigation into the incident.
The videos, which emerged days after the July 9 incident, show the woman trying to protect herself from an aggressive mob by holding a chair in front of her while dozens of people surround her and confront her near a chai dhaba.
According to the police, the woman, identified as Ishrat Malik, was detained and harassed when she returned home after attending classes at the music academy.
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The incident allegedly began when residents stormed the academy, accusing it of hosting “immoral activities.” The allegations have not been independently verified. An FIR has been registered on the complaint of Shakir Ali, who runs the academy.
In his complaint, Ali said he runs an arts academy where students receive training in singing and qawwali. He alleged that on July 9, a man identified as Azmat Shah, who he said appeared to be under the influence of narcotics, arrived at the academy with two companions and attempted to force entry.
According to the FIR, Ali denied them entry due to their condition, after which the suspects allegedly entered the premises by force. He claimed one of the men pulled out a firearm, while around 10 others joined them later, vandalizing the academy, assaulting staff and threatening that the institution would not be allowed to operate.
The author further alleged that the attackers physically assaulted him, causing injuries, and also harassed his wife, Huma, by pulling at her clothes. He accused the group of similarly harassing female students and outraging their modesty.
The FIR claims that a student, later identified as Ishrat Malik, fled from the academy in panic. According to the complaint, the main suspect allegedly gathered more people from the neighborhood, after which a crowd of nearly 200 people chased the woman through the streets, allegedly attempting to assault and harass her before she managed to take refuge in a nearby apartment building. The police reached the spot through the emergency helpline.
The Nazimabad SHO said the academy conducts qawwali and singing classes and no previous complaints had been made to the police about its activities before the incident. He confirmed that the police have registered a case of harassment of the woman and attack on the academy. No arrests have been announced yet.
