Police arrest prime suspect in motorway gang rape case

LAHORE: The Punjab police on Saturday claimed to have arrested a prime suspect involved in the gang rape of the woman on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway near Gujjarpura area, ARY News reported, citing Punjab government.

Punjab government sources said the search for the second suspect involved in the gang rape of a woman was underway.

The horrific gang rape of the woman, in front of her children, occurred on Tuesday night on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway.

Punjab police conducted a search operation in Karol village situated near Gujjarpura area of Lahore on Friday night for the arrest of suspects who gang-raped and looted a woman in front of her children on Lahore-Sialkot motorway near Gujjarpura.

Police takeover Lahore-Sialkot motorway

Following the rape and robbery incident near Gujjarpura, the Punjab police have decided to beef up security on Lahore-Sialkot motorway.

As per details, a Central Police Office (CPO) video-link conference was held in Lahore to discuss matters related to security on Lahore-Sialkot motorway.

Read More: Mother of two children gang-raped during robbery bid in Lahore

The meeting was attended by Punjab Inspector General of Police (IG) Inam Ghan, IG Motorway Police and Federal Secretary Communication.

During the meeting, it was decided that personnel of SPU and PHP would patrol the Lahore-Sialkot motorway, while 100 police officials will be deployed at motorway for security purpose.

Inspector General of Punjab (IG) Inam Ghani has directed the joint teams of Special Protection Unit (SPU) and Punjab Highway Patrol (PHP) to beef up the security in the area.

Read More: Motorway gang-rape case: Conflicting eye-witnesses’ accounts confuse police

Committee formed

Earlier in the day, the Punjab government has constituted a high-level committee to investigate the Lahore Motorway rape case.

The committee will be headed by Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat while additional chief secretary Home Department, the additional IG special branch, DIG investigation Punjab and the DG Forensic Science Agency will be the other members.

Read More: Punjab police to take control of security on Lahore-Sialkot motorway

It is pertinent to mention here that the woman, a resident of Gujranwala, was going back to the city from Lahore when her car ran out of petrol in the Gujjarpura area at the motorway on Tuesday night. She waited for her husband and called the Motorway Police’s emergency helpline 130 for help.

While she was stranded on the road, two unidentified persons from the nearby area approached the car and forcefully brought the woman out of the vehicle and allegedly raped her in the nearby fields.

A police official relayed that investigators have collected important evidence, including DNA samples, from the crime site. CCTV footage of the area has also been obtained with geo-fencing conducted, he added.