Yumnu case: PG orders Police to investigate refusal to provide urine samples

Prosecutor General's Office have ordered Police to investigate the issue of some individuals refusing to provide urine samples in relation to the case of Hawwa Yumnu Rasheed, and to press charges against them.

In the investigation following the discovery of Yumnu fallen on to the roof of a warehouse at H. Mitaaz, from what Police have said was a fanlight in the 9th floor stairwell of adjacent H. Fentoniya, Police have so far taken urine samples from Yumnu and Raudh Ahmed Zilal, who was accompanying Yumnu in the hours preceding the incident.

Police have said that both Yumnu and Raudh's samples tested positive for drugs.

Police have said earlier that others accompanying Yumnu on the night of the incident refused to provide urine samples, due to which no drug testing was conducted. However, under the Drugs Act, refusing to provide a urine sample carries a prison sentence of one year.

In a statement issued last night, the PG Office said that Police had noted that some of the persons summoned in relation to the investigation, although suspected of being in a state of intoxication, had refused to provide urine samples. Police noted that this presented legal obstructions against obtaining samples, the statement said.

The PG Office said that due to this, Police have been instructed to investigate these cases as refusal to provide a urine sample as per law.

PG Office also called to investigate if any Police officers had acted against the Police Act and regulations within the investigation into Yumnu's fall, and take necessary actions.

Although Police initially claimed that there was no involvement of other person's in Yumnu's fall, they have since arrested Raudh, who was accompanying Yumnu on the night of the incident.

As of now, only Raudh has been arrested in relation to the case. Raudh was also arrested six days after the incident. Criminal Court has since placed him in remand in custody for a period of five days.

Police have later said that Raudh revealed in his statement that an altercation occurred between him and Yumnu prior to her fall.

They also said in court that when asked about Yumnu's whereabouts a short while after he fall, Raudh had responded that he did not know, and that he believed she may have fallen. Police did not disclose to whom Raudh made these comments to.

Police have also seized the phones of other individuals identified as being with Yumnu earlier on the night of the incident. Travel bans have also been placed against all of them.