The Punjab Women’s Police have arrested the primary suspect, Haseeb Afzal, in connection with the alleged gang-rape case of an MPhil student.
Authorities report that raids are ongoing to apprehend the other two suspects, Talha and Hamza. “The victim has undergone a medical examination, and the results will help clarify the situation,†said a police spokesperson.
This deeply unsettling case of gang rape reported in Lahore, where an M.Phil student of Government College Lahore University became a victim of sexual assault allegedly by three men. One of the perpetrators was victim’s male friend, reportedly.
According to the FIR registered in Lytton Road police station, under Section 375-B, the incident occurred on January 10, but the victim filed a complaint on January 21.
As per FIR, the victim disclosed that she had been in contact with the main suspect, Haseeb Afzal, through social media and had been in a relationship with him. Haseeb allegedly misled her with promises of marriage. Haseeb persistently pressured the victim for physical intimacy, which she consistently refused.
On the morning of the incident, Haseeb invited her for breakfast in the Muslim Town area, where his friends Talha Khan and Hamza Sheikh joined them. Haseeb and his friends allegedly lured her to an apartment in Bahria Town, where they subjected her to sexual assault.
According to victim’s statement, perpetrators also recorded compromising videos of her and threatened her to upload these videos if she would report the incident.
After hours of abuse, the suspects abandoned the victim on Outfall Road before fleeing the scene. Police have registered the case and are actively searching for the accused while providing the victim with legal protection.
