- Court bars police from arresting female suspect in rape case.
- Azeri woman records statement before judicial magistrate.
- Foreign woman alleges Nimra received money from Mohsin.
LAHORE: A local court in Lahore on Tuesday granted police a six-day physical remand of two suspects in the alleged gang rape of an Azerbaijani woman.
The Azerbaijani woman had travelled to Pakistan for business purposes and was allegedly gang-raped by three men at a rented flat in Lahore’s Defence area on the night between Friday and Saturday.
At the outset of today’s hearing, the case’s investigating officer (IO) told the court of Judicial Magistrate Azhar Mahmood that the suspects’ DNA tests had to be conducted, while the arrest of one nominated female suspect was still pending.
The IO said the female suspect would be produced before the court tomorrow.
After hearing the arguments, the court handed the suspect over to police for a six-day physical remand and adjourned the hearing.
Meanwhile, Additional Sessions Judge Riffaqat Ali barred the police from arresting the female suspect in the alleged rape case until October 5 while hearing her petition for interim bail.
The court also directed the suspect to join the investigation and ordered police to submit an investigation report.
Azeri woman records statement under Section 164
The Azerbaijani woman, 22, earlier alleged before the judicial magistrate that she was sexually assaulted by three men after being made to drink alcohol,
The woman recorded her statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure before a judicial magistrate on Monday, it emerged on Tuesday.
Police have arrested two suspects in the case, while raids are being conducted to arrest third suspect. Police said the two mobile phones belonging to the foreign national have yet to be recovered.
According to her statement recorded before the magistrate a day ago, the woman said she had travelled from Istanbul to Islamabad on the 13th. She then went to Faisalabad, where she stayed for five days, before travelling to Lahore with plans to visit Skardu.
She said she was unable to continue travelling alone and messaged two women, Nimra and Muskan, suggesting that they meet.
According to her statement, she went alone to a cafe at around 11pm, where she met Muskan. Muskan then told her that Nimra was waiting for them, and they went to meet her.
The woman said they had food at around 2am when two men arrived in a vehicle, and Nimra invited them to join them.
She alleged that Nimra received Rs20,000 to Rs30,000 from a man identified as Mohsin and offered the money to her, but she refused to take it.
According to the statement, Mohsin then took her to a separate room where three other men were present. When she asked about Nimra and Muskan, she was told they had left.
Azeri woman said she asked to leave but was told she could not go because her friends had taken money. She offered to pay Rs30,000 but was told that they had taken more money.
According to the statement, Ali Aziz then allegedly told her that she did not know what they were capable of and attempted to blackmail her.
She said Ali Aziz then threatened to call the police on emergency number 15.
“I told him to make the call. “When the police did not come for five minutes, I again asked them to let me go,” she said in her statement before the magistrate.
According to her statement, the three men then offered her alcohol.
“They said they had ordered alcohol and asked me to drink with them. “I asked, ‘If I drink, will you let me go?’ They said yes.”
She alleged that after she drank, the men told her to sleep there until the effects wore off.
“After that, Mohsin, Ahmed and Ali Aziz sexually assaulted me,” she told the magistrate.
The woman said she was subsequently taken somewhere in a vehicle. “I had Rs200,000 in Pakistani currency and an iPhone with me.”
According to her statement, the men told her belongings would only be returned if she did not complain to the police.
The woman said she was later pushed out of the vehicle and left without her belongings. She then sought help from people nearby and called the police.
