Lahore sexual assault case: Victim alleges Raza Dar received $100,000 for her release

LAHORE: In a major development in the Lahore foreign women abduction and assault case, a victim has recorded her statement before a judicial magistrate under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), alleging that Raza Dar received $100,000 for her release.

According to the statement, obtained by ARY News, Astrid Gabriela Robinson Bracho told the magistrate that armed men stormed the house where she and her friend, Stephani Adriana, were staying.

She alleged that the attackers tied them up and confined them in a room before the prime suspect, Raza Dar, repeatedly demanded access to a computer and cryptocurrency funds.

“They asked where the computer with the money was, and I told them it was in the green bag,” she said in her statement, adding that Dar continued demanding money and passwords.

The complainant further alleged that one of the armed men struck her on the head, while another English-speaking suspect threatened to kill both women if they failed to hand over the money.

“He told me if we gave them the money, we would live. If we didn’t, they would kill us,” the statement quoted her as saying.

Astrid further alleged that she was taken to a bedroom on the second floor, where three men entered the room. She claimed that two of them sexually assaulted her while another suspect stood guard with a rifle.

“They were laughing, slapped me and told me to keep quiet when I started crying,” she stated before the magistrate.

According to her statement, Dar allegedly used her mobile phone to send messages to her contacts seeking money. She said no one initially responded, but later Stephani’s mother informed them she had arranged US$100,000.

Astrid alleged that on the final day of their captivity, Dar told them he had received all the money and that they were free to leave. She said the suspect returned their passports and drove them towards the airport.

During the journey, she claimed, Dar was speaking to someone on the phone when the person on the other end said, “The boss’s instructions are different.”

She further stated that after the vehicle was involved in a collision, she and Stephani jumped out of the car and screamed for help. Members of the public alerted a traffic police officer, leading to their rescue.

Earlier, a Lahore court remanded Raza Dar, Hassan Raza, Sikandar Khan and Sajid Ali into police custody for five days in connection with the alleged abduction and sexual assault of the two foreign women in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) area.

Lahore Assault Case: Foreign women may have left Pakistan, sources

According to investigators, the case stems from a financial dispute involving cryptocurrency. Police allege that Raza Dar had financial dealings with the two women involving approximately US$1.5 million, equivalent to around Rs450 million.

Police are also investigating allegations that Raza Dar, a relative of Deputy PM Ishaq Dar, lured the women to Pakistan under false pretences before allegedly staging a kidnapping. Investigators further claim the suspect included himself in the purported abduction to make the incident appear genuine.