Foreign women rape case: Lahore court sends four accused on 14-day judicial remand

One accused was named in the FIR, while three others were arrested after victims identified them

LAHORE:

A Lahore magisterial court on Friday sent four suspects, including Raza Dar, a close relative of a senior political figure, on a 14-day judicial remand in connection with the alleged abduction and molestation of two foreign women.

On July 2, police rescued two foreign women - one Dutch and one Venezuelan - after receiving an emergency complaint, arrested four suspects and launched an investigation into allegations of abduction and sexual assault.

A first information report (FIR) was subsequently registered at the Defence C Police Station under Sections 365A (kidnapping) and 375A (rape) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) on the complaint of one of the victims.

After the expiry of the four-day physical remand granted on July 13, police produced the suspects - Sajid, Sikandar, Hassan and Raza Dar - before the court.

Read: Court extends remand of three suspects in foreign women assault case

During the proceedings, the investigating officer submitted a progress report and requested that the suspects be sent on judicial remand.

Judicial Magistrate Azhar Mahmood accepted the request and remanded the four accused in judicial custody for 14 days.

The magistrate observed that only one suspect had been nominated in the FIR, while the remaining accused were arrested after being identified by the victims.

During the hearing, the state prosecutor opposed a plea by the counsel for one of the suspects seeking his client's discharge from the case, arguing that the accused was involved in destroying evidence and abetting the alleged crime.

Case background

A case was registered by the Lahore police earlier this month, after two foreign women accused the suspects of kidnapping and raping them. Police apprehended the suspects on July 2 and produced them before the magisterial court.

Police initially secured a five-day physical remand of the four suspects on July 3, which was extended for five days on July 8 and extended a second time on July 13 for four days. After the expiration of the last physical remand, the accused were produced before the court on July 17 (today).