LHC orders early arrest of suspects involved in motorway gang rape incident

Motorway rape case: LHC CJ Qasim has also sought notification regarding formation of committee

LAHORE (Dunya News) – Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday has ordered the investigation authorities to arrest suspects involved in raping and looting a woman in front of her children on motorway near Gujjarpura.

During the hearing, LHC Chief Justice Qasim Khan has also sought inquiry report, copy of show-cause notice to Inspector General of Punjab Inam Ghani by Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, record of security arrangements and notification regarding formation of committee for probe into the incident.

The CJ has also directed senior security officers to patrol for two hours on main roads.

Meanwhile, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Umar Sheikh appeared before the court and said that identification process of the suspects has been started as the details of the mishap have been gathered from the victim. We have carried out DNA tests of 53 people and found Abid as prime suspect, he told.

The judge further remarked that it’s the duty of the government to provide protection to the general masses. The court has to play important role in the current scenario. The time has come to deeply investigate the performance of the police department, he hinted.

The CJ said that the suspects must be properly trialed to avoid extra-judicial killings.

He further remarked it seems that Umar Sheikh was an officer of ministers as everyone was trying to save him. Provincial cabinet should have apologized on CCPO statement regarding putting blame on the victim for the mishap to calm the enraged people, he went on to say.

It is to be mentioned here that a petition had been filed in the LHC to form a judicial commission in the case in which the Punjab government, CM Sardar Usman Buzdar, IGP Inam Ghani and Lahore CCPO Umar Sheikh were made parties. The plaintiff took the stance that Punjab police had completely failed in providing protection to the people.

Crime ratio increased due to the negligence and non-professional behavior of the police, the petitioner said while requesting the court to form a judicial commission. 

Lahore CCPO apologizes over controversial statement

CCPO Umar Sheikh has apologized over his controversial statement regarding the motorway rape incident and said, “I apologize to the victim and all other classes who were hurt by my remarks. I had no intention to give any wrong impression.”

The Lahore CCPO had earlier remarked that the rape victim should have been more careful and taken a safer route. He said, “The affected woman departed from Defence Area of Lahore after midnight and took motorway route instead of GT Road, that too without adequate fuel.

“The woman called her brother instead of police and her brother telephoned the motorway police at 130 to send a police mobile for her help.”

Case background

On September 9, 2020, mother of two children was looted and raped at gunpoint on motorway near Gujjarpura area of the Punjab province.

Sana was reportedly travelling in a car along with her two children when some unknown accused overpowered her. After raping and robbing the victim of valuables and cash (1 lakh), the suspects escaped from the scene.

On receipt of the information, the police reached the spot and shifted the woman to a hospital. The police said the process to identify the accused through the Safe City cameras was underway.