Lax Security: Rape accused escapes from LHC

LAHORE: A man accused of raping a mentally-challenged girl escaped from the Lahore High Court (LHC) premises on Friday after the court rejected his bail petition. Suspect Muhammad Sarfraz had petitioned the court to grant him bail in the case, claiming that he had been falsely implicated on the behest of his rivals. His lawyer, Rab Nawaz, requested the court to grant him bail. However, Chiniot police informed the court that sufficient evidence had been gathered against the suspect to prosecute him. The court was informed that medical reports had also confirmed that the suspect had raped the girl. After the arguments were concluded, Justice Shahid Hameed Dar of the Lahore High Court dismissed the bail petition. When the verdict was announced, the suspect escaped from the court with the help of his counsel and other lawyers.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28^th, 2014.