The Sindh government transferred on Monday both the deputy commissioner and the senior superintendent of Police (SSP) of Jacobabad following the alleged sexual assault of a female polio worker in the city.

SSP Sameer Noor Channa has been ordered to report to the Central Police Office while DC Zahoor Ali Murri has also been reassigned.

Meanwhile, the victim has alleged that the police coerced her to change her statement regarding the incident. The suspects involved in the sexual assault case are reported to belong to the Jakhrani tribe.

The survivor testified before a court last week that she was abducted and raped while on duty, with medical reports indicating that the assault may have occurred.

The alleged rape took place on Wednesday in Allah Baksh Jakhrani village, within the jurisdiction of the Moladad Police Station. DC Murri had stated that the police responded to the incident and transported the survivor to James Hospital under heavy security for a medicolegal examination.

A day after the incident, the polio worker told reporters that she was “robbed of her phone and valuables” while denying any allegations of sexual assault.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries in the world where polio remains endemic despite an effective vaccine. Militants have killed hundreds of officers and polio workers over more than a decade.

On Friday, Jacobabad District and Sessions dismissed the police report submitted by the station house officer (SHO) of the Mauladad police station, citing its incompleteness. Judge Syed Sharafuddin Shah instructed police to provide a comprehensive report by the next hearing, scheduled for September 23.

The court also directed Jacobabad’s SSP to form a joint investigation team to conduct a fair and transparent inquiry based on both eyewitness and medical evidence.

The survivor was driven out of the home by her husband on Saturday, according to a Dawn report.