LAHORE: Police took into custody on Saturday a man who admitted that he knew the suspect who had raped a five-year-old girl and left her unattended outside the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital some five months ago.

The arrest came during a raid conducted after a tip-off from an informer in Mughalpura, the place from where the girl was kidnapped, a police officer told Dawn.

He said the arrested suspect, Javed, was involved in many cases of street crime and had admitted that he had handed over the girl to his friend Hidayat, who raped her.

The official said the strong resemblance between Javed and the suspect seen in the hospital’s CCTV footage had alerted the police informer. He said police had got several CCTV footages in which a man was seen carrying the girl.

He entered the hospital from the main gate, dropped off the girl and left. Police had released the sketch of the suspect for his identification and arrest.

According to the information gleaned from the suspect so far, he trapped the girl when she was playing in the street and handed her over to his friend. who took her to an unknown place.

The official said a police team had been sent to arrest the prime suspect after the disclosure by the arrested man. The girl was playing with her three-year-old cousin outside her home in Ghosia Colony when both of them went missing. The kidnapper(s) left the girl on the greenbelt outside Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and the boy near the Services Hospital.

The girl underwent two complicated surgeries in the Services Hospital.

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.