Punjab police arrest 3 suspects in Lahore gang-rape case
Punjab police on Monday arrested three suspects for allegedly gang-raping a woman in Lahore, according to a statement by the police.
“The suspects were arrested within 2 hours of being reported,” the Punjab police statement said, adding that three were arrested while raids were underway to apprehend the fourth suspect.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Operations Faisal Kamran is personally supervising all proceedings of the case, the statement added.
A case was registered against the suspects under section 375A (gang rape) of the Pakistan Penal Code, at Chung police station, the statement said.
“One of the suspects called the victim to Lahore from Sahiwal and made her stay at his relatives’ house,” the statement quoted DIG Kamran as saying. “According to the initial investigation, the suspects assaulted the victim for two consecutive days,” DIG Kamran said.
The victim is being provided with full legal and medical assistance, the DIG added. “The suspects involved in the heinous crime will be brought to justice.”
Despite the presence of anti-rape laws — with punishment for rape either resulting in the death penalty or imprisonment of between 10 and 25 years — cases continue to prevail in the country.
Last week, police arrested two youngsters for allegedly kidnapping and gang-raping a 14-year-old girl in Bahawalnagar.
In January, a female student of a leading private university in Lahore was allegedly gang-raped by three suspects in a flat in a private housing society located on Raiwind Road.
The Racecourse Women’s Police Station lodged a case, nominating the three suspects.