LAHORE: The investigating officer of the Gujjarpura police told an anti-terrorism court on Saturday that the challan in the motorway gang-rape case had been handed over to the prosecution department for its scrutiny.

The IO said the challan would soon be filed before the court once the prosecution completed its scrutiny.

Presiding Judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta adjourned further hearing till Feb 10 and also extended judicial remand of the suspects — Abid Malhi and Shafqat Bagga. The jail officials brought the suspects to the court under strict security.

During several previous hearings, the judge had shown his displeasure over inordinate delay in filing of the challan by the police despite the passage of more than 100 days in the arrest of the suspects.

The Gujjarpura police had lodged the FIR No 1369/20 under sections 376, 392 and 427 of Pakistan Penal Code and section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

Malhi and Bagga had sexually assaulted a Pakistan origin French woman after dragging her out from her car that stopped during the late night travel on the motorway after fuel ran out. Both suspects had confessed to their crime during the police custody while Bagga also recorded his confessional statement before a judicial magistrate under section 124 of CrPC. The woman also identified the suspects during the identification parade conducted in the Central Jail Kot Lakhpat.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2021