Rawalpindi police make arrests after minor boy sexually assaulted by schoolmates

Published April 26, 2019
Police in Rawalpindi registered a case against three individuals on Thursday for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old student enrolled in Grade 8 at the Roots School. — AFP/File
Police in Rawalpindi registered a case against three individuals on Thursday for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old student enrolled in Grade 8 at the Roots School. — AFP/File

Rawalpindi police on Thursday registered an FIR against three individuals for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old male student studying in Grade 8 of a private school.

The victim is a Pakistani-American dual national who came to Pakistan to study one and a half years ago. Two of the suspects have been arrested while a search is underway for the third suspect, who is on the run, police confirmed.

The primary suspect is a senior student studying in Grade 12 at the same school who, along with two of his friends, sexually assaulted the 15-year-old after taking him for ice cream.

A case has been registered against the suspects under Sections 292, 34, 367A and 377 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

Section 292 A of the PPC deals with exposing children to seduction. Section 377 deals with unnatural offences and Section 367 deals with kidnapping with the intent to subject a person to grave harm, while Section 34 deals with common intention.

According to an FIR registered by the victim on April 25, he had gone shopping to Saddar on April 19 when he ran into a schoolfellow who was with his friends.

He said that the three perpetrators lured him to an ice cream shop, after which they forcibly took him to a parking lot in a car and tried to assault him. The victim said that when he attempted to make noise, they tied his mouth shut with a cloth in order to silence him.

The 15-year-old said that the suspects then took him to a 'dera' in a deserted area and opened the lock to the 'dera' with keys that were in their possession.

The victim recounted that the three individuals took turns assaulting him. He said that while one would assault him, the other would hold a pistol and the third would make a video. He added that the videos were then forwarded ahead to other people.

As per the 15-year-old victim, the senior student later sent the video to him (the victim) and tried to coerce him once again. This time, the victim contacted the police and a case was registered against the assaulters.

DSP Cantt Sardar Babar Mumtaz told DawnNewsTV that the victim's medical examination has been completed and doctors will give a final opinion once a DNA test is received.

He added that questioning with the suspects was ongoing and a search team has been formed for the arrest of the third suspect.

DSP Mumtaz said that the arrested suspects will be presented in court for physical remand tomorrow.

Station House Officer (SHO) Cantt Mirza Javed Iqbal confirmed that two of the suspects had been arrested and an investigation was going. He added that the third suspect had escaped but a search was on.

While speaking to DawnNewsTV, the victim's cousin, Mohammad Nasir, said that the victim's parents reside in America and he had come to Pakistan one and a half years ago alone to study.

Due to the incident, the victim is being sent back to his parents in the US.

According to Nasir, the victim enjoyed playing football and had become friends with one of the suspected assaulters through the sport.

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