Key Takeaways
- Lahore police arrested one of the three suspects who allegedly gang-raped an Azeri woman.
- The woman, 20 years old, was allegedly gang-raped in a rented flat in Lahore on the night between Friday and Saturday.
- Two other suspects have been identified, and police are conducting raids to arrest them.
Police in Lahore have arrested one of the three suspects allegedly involved in the gang-rape of a 20-year-old Azeri woman. The incident occurred in a rented flat in a private housing society near Raiwind on the night between Friday and Saturday.
Lahore Deputy Inspector General (Investigation) Zeeshan Raza confirmed the arrest of the key suspect to Dawn, stating that two other suspects have also been identified. The police are currently conducting raids to apprehend the remaining suspects.
The victim, identified as Diana, had travelled to Pakistan for business purposes. She recorded her statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure before a judicial magistrate at the Cantonment Courts on Monday.
The woman’s medical report confirmed that she was subjected to sexual assault. Lahore police have requested federal authorities to place the names of the three prime suspects on the Provisional National Identification List (PNIL), as they have fled Lahore shortly after the alleged assault.
In addition to the suspects, two close relatives and a domestic servant of one of the suspects have also been taken into custody. The vehicle allegedly used in the incident has also been seized by the police.
This is the second such case in which a foreign woman was reportedly gang-raped in the Defence C police station area during the last four months. In June, two foreign women, nationals of the Netherlands and Venezuela, were allegedly abducted and sexually assaulted in the same area.
The police have registered a case against three unidentified suspects on the woman’s complaint. The incident has raised concerns about the safety of foreign women in Lahore and the effectiveness of law enforcement in addressing such crimes.
The victim’s statement was recorded under tight security, and the proceedings continued for more than an hour. The case is currently under investigation, and the police are working to apprehend the remaining suspects.
