Around 361 arrested students released in Rawalpindi after court order

Court questions mass arrests, orders release of all remaining detainees in Rawalpindi protest

Authorities in Rawalpindi have released 361 students who were arrested during protests over the alleged rape of a student at a college in  Lahore.

The students gathered to express their anger over reports of the incident, which led to widespread demonstrations across the city, some of which turned violent.

Police said the students were arrested on Thursday, with cases registered against them in various police stations, Express News reported.

The protests, which had been ongoing since the reports of the alleged assault surfaced, resulted in the arrest of 387 students. A further 2,425 individuals were listed as unknown participants in the demonstrations.

The students were presented at the Rawalpindi Judicial Complex, where a district court granted bail to 14 of them. Three students, however, were remanded into custody for further investigation.

During the hearing, the court questioned the rationale behind the mass arrests, ordering that all other detainees be freed.

Parents gathered outside the courthouse as the students were led inside, with many carrying schoolbags, showing their young age.

The court, while granting their release, issued a stern warning to the students, urging them to avoid future disruptions.

The judge advised parents to take responsibility for their children’s behaviour, emphasising the importance of focusing on their education.

Moreover, all other students arrested across multiple police stations were released. The police, however, had initially requested the judicial remand of some students, but the court dismissed the plea.

The protests in Rawalpindi were part of a wider movement sparked by the alleged assault, which has since been disputed by the authorities.

Alleged Lahore college rape case

Protests erupted across the campuses of a group of colleges over reports of the rape of a first-year student by a security guard.

The incident had taken place on October 11 at the Gulberg campus, where a college bus driver had allegedly tricked the victim into the basement, where she was assaulted by a security guard, according to protesting students.

The matter came to light when a lecturer inquired about the victim's absence. Her friends reached out to the girl's parents who revealed that their daughter had allegedly been raped by the guard.

The students claim that the victim's condition had deteriorated after the incident and she had been discreetly taken out of the college.

Students took to the social media to expose the alleged crime, leading to large-scale demonstrations outside the Punjab College campuses.

The protesters accused the college administration of attempting to cover up the incident. They claimed that the principal had deleted the CCTV footage of the incident and that the police and security guards had violently suppressed the protests.

However, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has dismissed claims of a rape case involving a student at a private college in Lahore, stating that the incident was fabricated.