Link Road gang rape case: Abid Malhi, Shafqat Ali sentenced to death

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Saturday sentenced two suspects involved in the link road gang rape case, Abid Malhi and Shafqat Ali to death, ARY NEWS reported.

The verdict was announced by the ATC judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta, who heard the case at the Camp Jail.

Besides announcing the death sentence for both the convicts, the judge also sentenced them to life imprisonment for 14 years each and imposing an Rs50,000 fine on each of them in separate cases. Overall 37 witnesses were produced by the prosecution in the case and the ATC judge had reserved the verdict during trial within the prison premises.

Detailed Judgement 

In a detailed judgment issued later, the court awarded them the death sentence under gang rape charges while life imprisonment was announced over their involvement in kidnapping for ransom and 14-year jail to each of them over dacoity charges.

Besides this, the court further ruled that they would be imprisoned for five years more for endangering the life of the woman and Rs50,000 imposed on each of them for injuring the lady.

Under another count of injuring a person, the convicts would be fined Rs50,000. The court also ruled to seize the properties of the convicts.

However, while announcing stricter punishments, the court linked implementation upon the death sentence with the confirmation of the decision from the high court.

Read More: How was motorway rape case suspect Abid Malhi arrested by police?

On 09 September 2020, the woman along with her children was waiting for help on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway after her car ran out of fuel when she was forcefully brought out of the car at gunpoint and gang-raped in Gujjarpura area on the outskirts of the provincial capital.

The Punjab police arrested Abid Malhi on October 12 during a raid at Manga Mandi, some 111 kilometers away from Faisalabad. Sources had said the police initially conducted a raid at Tandlianwala Tehsil of Faisalabad to arrest the key suspect but he managed to escape moments before the police party reached there.

Read More: Motorway rape case: Suspect Shafqat Ali to undergo polygraph test

Later, acting on information about the presence of Malhi at his relative’s house in Manga Mandi, the police conducted a raid at the house and finally apprehend him.

The other suspect, Shafqat Ali was arrested by police on 14 September.