LAHORE – Lahore Police have identified suspects in alleged gang-rape of a foreign woman in Lahore’s Defence area, with special investigation teams formed to trace and arrest those allegedly involved.
A disturbing case of sexual assault of foreign woman was reported from Lahore’s Defence area, where the resident of Azerbaijan was reportedly drugged, sexually assaulted by three men and held captive before being abandoned on a roadside.
Police said the complainant’s written application was received through the station’s front desk before the FIR was registered and subsequently forwarded to the Investigation Wing.
Two women and three men described in the complaint were initially not identified by name. However, the complainant told police that she could recognise all five individuals if they were brought before her. Investigators are now working to establish exactly what happened, identify the alleged suspects and trace their whereabouts.
Azerbaijani Woman ‘Gang-Raped’ after Being Lured to DHA Lahore Café
DIG Investigation Lahore Syed Zeeshan Raza took notice of the incident and ordered the formation of special investigation teams under SP Investigation Cantt Asim Iftikhar. Police said all out efforts are being made to trace the alleged suspects.
DIG Zeeshan Raza directed investigators to pursue the case on merit and strictly according to law. He said he was personally monitoring the investigation and that all possible leads were being examined.
The allegations are currently under investigation, and any suspects identified or arrested in connection with the case would remain entitled to due process and the presumption of innocence unless and until proven guilty in court.
The case was registered at Defence C Police Station after the woman approached police and submitted a written complaint. The woman told investigators that she had been in Pakistan for around 15 to 20 days for business purposes. According to her account, her ordeal began on the night of September 25 when two unidentified women allegedly took her to an unknown café for dinner.
Three men were reportedly already at the café. The complainant alleged that the men later persuaded her to accompany them in a vehicle, but instead of taking her on an outing, they allegedly transported her to an apartment at an undisclosed location.
The woman alleged that the suspects gave her alcohol containing an intoxicating or stupefying substance. She claimed that after consuming it, she became incapacitated.
According to the complaint, the three men then allegedly sexually assaulted her one after another. She further alleged that she was kept confined during the incident and was unable to leave the premises.
The complainant said the suspects eventually took her to the area around Ghazi Interchange, near Route Chowk and Netsol Chowk, and left her there at approximately 2pm on September 26. She further alleged that the men fled after taking some of her belongings, including two mobile phones.
