ISLAMABAD: Eight more sections of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) have been added to the couple sexual harassment case in the light of the victims’ statements recorded by the police.

According to the FIR registered on July 6, the incident took place in a flat in E-11/2.

At a news conference held on Monday, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations) Afzaal Ahmed Kousar said the case had initially been registered in the light of a video that went viral on social media under section 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 354 A (assault or use of criminal force to woman and stripping her of her clothes) 506(ii) (criminal intimidation) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman).

The video showed a number of suspects holding the couple at gunpoint, forcing them to strip and beating them up.

FIR updated in light of statements recorded by victims, says DIG

The couple appeared before a magistrate and recorded their statements under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). According to the couple, Usman, the main suspect already in custody, also extorted money from them.

The new sections added to the FIR are 375-A and 375-D (rape), which entail death sentence or imprisonment of not less than 10 years or more than 25 years or imprisonment for the remainder period of his natural life and fine, 338 (punishment of extortion), which has three years’ imprisonment, a fine or both, 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement) punishable with a year’s imprisonment and a fine of Rs3,000; 395 (dacoity) to get imprisonment for life or rigorous imprisonment for 10 years and a fine, 396-A

(enticing or taking away or detaining with criminal intent a woman) under which the convict could be jailed for up to seven years and is liable to a fine, and 377-B (sexual abuse), punishable with imprisonment of up to seven years along with a fine.

The DIG said the prosecution would be in a strong position after addition of these sections to the FIR, adding so far six suspects had been arrested.

The investigators have recovered mobile phones of the main suspect which were being examined, he said, adding that efforts were underway to recover weapons and other material used by the suspects.

The suspects could get a death sentence or life imprisonment for the crime they have committed.

The six suspects arrested in the case are Usman, Farhan Khan, Attaur Rehman, Adaras Butt, Umar Bilal and Mohib Khan, the DIG added.

There are a total of eight people involved in the case and two are still at large.

A brother of the main suspect is also involved in the crime and the police are trying to locate him, he said.

“No one is supporting the suspects and if anyone is found doing so would not be spared,” Mr Kousar said, adding that the SSP investigation was supervising the case.

Police are also investigating who uploaded the video on social media, he added.

SSP (investigation) Attaur Rehman and SSP (operations) Dr Syed Mustafa Tanveer were also present at the press conference held at the Police Lines Headquarters.

The incident had taken place in November 2020 and since then the main suspect had extorted over Rs1.2 million from the victims on different occasions, the DIG said.

The young male victim, who has a property business in E-11, had taken the flat on rent with the assistance of one of the suspects, Attaur Rehman.

Meanwhile, two of the suspects were sent to Adiala Jail for an identification parade.

Other police officers told Dawn that the suspects frequently changed their mobile phones and laptops by disposing them of or selling them to others.

The investigators are trying to trace these gadgets to retrieve evidence against them.

During their efforts, the investigators traced a mobile phone sold out by the main suspect in Peshawar and recovered it. The phone is being examined to recover the deleted data from it.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2021