LAHORE: Faisalabad police on Wednesday constituted a special committee to interrogate the suspects involved in sexual harassment, humiliation and torture of a dentistry student two days ago and supervise the case investigation process.

Meanwhile, police presented the suspects before the court to seek their physical remand. The court heard the case and granted two-day physical remand of the suspects.

City Police Officer (CPO) Omar Saeed Malik told Dawn a special investigation committee was constituted to probe into the case. Faisalabad SSP investigation retired Capt Muhammad Ajmal was made head of the committee, while other members include Lyallpur Division SP Muhammad Nabeel and Kotwali Circle DSP Qazi Farooq.

The committee would supervise the Investigation Officer Women Police Station in charge Farah Batool and DSP (legal) Shahzad Alyana would provide legal assistance. CIA DSP Mudassir Hanif will provide human intelligence and ASI Muhammad Javed was tasked with providing technical support for the arrest of the remaining suspects.

Police given two-day physical remand of the suspects

While answering a query during a TV show about the prime suspect’s claim during investigation that a co-suspect woman involved in the torture was his (suspect’s) wife, the CPO said he could not present any evidence of his marriage with the woman. More facts would be revealed in the course of investigation, he added.

Mr Malik said the raids were being conducted to arrest daughter of the suspect, adding that her name would also be placed on the Exit Control List (ECL). Weapons and vehicles used in the abduction of the victim had been recovered from the six suspects arrested on Tuesday, he added.

Taking notice of the incident, Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi sought a report from the Inspector General of Police Faisal Shahkar and ordered a stern legal action against the arrested suspects, saying such incidents could not be tolerated. He stated the suspects deserved strict punishment according to law.

An abduction, torture and sexual assault case was registered against 15 persons, including a woman, on the complaint of a final year dentistry student.

She stated in the FIR that the prime suspect ‘D’ and his 14 accomplices arrived at their house and forced her brother to accept his marriage proposal for her. She said the suspect and his accomplices tortured her and her brother and forcibly took them to D’s house and forced her to lick his shoes, shaved her head and an eyebrow and filmed the humiliating episode.

The suspect then took the victim to another room where he subjected her to sexual assault and recorded the act.

She said the suspects also snatched their costly mobile phones, and extorted Rs500,000 and gold ornaments worth Rs450,000 from them.

The complainant said the suspects also demanded Rs1 million and threatened if the amount was not paid, they would upload the video clips on social media.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2022