Police bust gang of child rapists in Punjab

Culprits, in the last few months, had raped a number of children after abducting them from different places

DG KHAN: The police on Friday busted a gang allegedly involved in the sexual assault on dozens of children in the Kot Addu area of Punjab’s Muzaffargarh district.

According to officials, police had registered an FIR against unknown culprits, who, in the last few months, had raped a number of children after abducting them from different places. These children were later thrown by the roadside after the crime.

The police on Friday carried out a raid on the basis of the information provided by the gang’s latest victim and arrested a hotel employee, Abu Bakr. Later, they also arrested two other suspects, Faisal and Shan Taili, respectively, a Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) employee and a rickshaw driver. According to DSP Mujahid Khan Barmani, the suspects have confessed to raping 12 children in the initial investigation. “However, there are around 26 victims, the families of five of which have registered separate FIRs.”

He said in view of the severity of the crime, the police have also included section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) in the FIRs. “The police have also formed a three-member investigation team to probe the suspects, who will be presented in an anti-terrorism court (ATC) for physical remand on Saturday (today),” he said.

Meanwhile, the police have also made an announcement, calling all the possible victims to come forward and lodge their complaint, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 23^rd, 2016.