Viral video leads to arrest of culprit

Police have arrested the prime suspect in Islamabad after a harrowing video of him torturing and stripping a couple went viral online, a spokesperson said on Wednesday.

The matter came to light after a disturbing sequence of events of the brazen attack was captured by video, showing the suspect breaking into an apartment and unleashing the assault.

The prime suspect, Usman Mirza and three of his accomplices - Hafiz Ataur Rehman, Farhan Shaheen Awan and Madras Butt - have been taken into custody and charged with sexual assault, the official added.

The incident has ignited widespread outrage online over the country’s longstanding problems with sexual violence, prompting a swift response from Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) Qazi Jamilur Rehman who immediately directed SSP Operations Dr Syed Mustafa Tanveer to ensure the arrest of the suspects at the earliest.

The Facebook video helped the police team to identify the suspects and gather information about Mirza’s real estate office situated right in front of the flat where the incident allegedly took place.

In addition, the investigation also discovered Mirza’s ‘guest house’ where sexual assault was routinely filmed and then used as a blackmailing tool against victims.

The case has been registered against the suspect under Section 354-A (assaulting and stripping a woman of her clothes), Section 506 (criminal intimidation), Section 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) and Section 509 (sexual harassment) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Moreover, Golra Circle DSP Syed Sajjad Haider Bukhari told The Express Tribune that the sections leading to the death penalty have also been included in the FIR against the offenders.

He said the police would probe into allegations about suspects blackmailing women with videos who used to stay at his guest house, adding the police was utilising modern techniques to trace the suspects.