Police have detained three people for questioning in connection with the alleged rape of an Azerbaijani woman in Lahore’s Defence area, officials said.
According to police, the detained individuals are suspected of assisting the main suspects in the incident. Three men — Ahmed Tanveer, Ali and Mohsin — have been named as suspects in the case.
Police said the woman was allegedly taken to a cafe by two unidentified women shortly after arriving in Lahore. The two women reportedly met three male acquaintances at the cafe, where the foreign national was allegedly given a substance suspected to have been mixed with drugs before she was sexually assaulted.
The suspects allegedly abandoned the woman near the airport before fleeing the area. Police said the incident occurred during the night between Friday and Saturday.
Investigators have also examined the woman’s travel history. Police said she first arrived in Lahore from Tashkent on March 4 on a foreign airline and stayed with a person identified as Rida Hameed. She subsequently travelled to Baku on March 20.
Police said the woman returned to Pakistan from Baku on May 22 and stayed with Rashid Ali. She arrived in Lahore for the third time around 15 days ago and was visiting the city in connection with her clothing business.
According to investigators, she regularly travelled between Lahore and Faisalabad for work.
Earlier, police recovered the vehicle allegedly used in the woman’s abduction from the residence of a relative of the main suspect. The relative had reportedly fled the house.
Police said the names of the suspects had been placed on the stop list and that the woman had undergone a medical examination.
Investigators said the woman was currently unable to record her statement. Her statement will be taken once she regains consciousness and is in a condition to speak, police added.
Police further said the woman understands and speaks Urdu.
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