LAHORE – In a major development, two of the four suspects involved in the alleged gang-rape of a woman in Lahore’s Chuhang area were shot dead in a police encounter, the police officials said on Friday.
The police officials said that the accused opened fire when the law enforcement raided their hideout.
In retaliation, the police returned fire, killed two suspects on the spot while a manhunt is underway to arrest the remaining two accused.
The brutal nature of the crime sparked widespread condemnation as the activists and citizens demanded swift justice for the victim and protection for women.
In a separate and equally disturbing case, Begum Kot Police arrested a man who attempted to sexually assault an 11-year-old boy.
The suspect allegedly lured the child into a room and assaulted him but the child’s screams alerted bystanders after which the accused fled from the scene. The police acted swiftly, arrested the suspect and registered a case.
The back-to-back incidents have raised serious concerns about rising sexual crimes and the need for urgent legal reforms. Rights activists are urging media, judiciary, and government authorities to take immediate action and ensure exemplary punishment for the culprits to prevent such heinous acts in the future.
Earlier this year, disturbing incident of gang rape was reported from the provincial capital Lahore where an M.Phil student of Government College University was subjected to sexual assault by three men including one of her male friends.
As per the FIR registered under 375-B, the incident occurred on January 10 and has since led to a formal complaint being lodged with the Lytton Road police. The victim told mentioned being in a relationship with Haseeb Afzal, through social media. The prime accused tricked the girl and proposed to her for marriage, repeatedly pressuring her for physical relations, which she declined.
On the morning of the incident, Haseeb invited her for breakfast at Muslim Town, where his friends, Talha Khan and Hamza Sheikh joined them. The three men allegedly took her to an apartment in Bahria Town, where they subjected her to gang rape. During the assault, they reportedly filmed her in a compromising position and made threats against her.
After sexually assaulting her for hours, the accused abandoned her on Outfall Road and fled the scene. Police lodged a case, and are looking for the suspects and ensuring legal protection for the victim.
Authorities are urging anyone with additional information about the case to come forward. The incident has raised serious concerns about the safety of women in the area and calls for urgent action from law enforcement.
