ISLAMABAD: The victims of sexual harassment on Saturday identified three of suspects arrested during the last couple of weeks.

Earlier, the suspects were sent to Adiala Jail for identification parade.

Sources told Dawn that the couple told investigators that two of the suspects made videos and one was standing outside the flat.

SP Saddar Zone Farooq Amjad Buttar told Dawn that after the identification the three suspects were produced in the court of law which gave them to police on six days physical remand.

Physical remand of accused extended till 20th

Replying to a question, SP Butter said the video could be admissible as evidence in the court after forensic examination, and they have sent the video to the lab.

Sources said the police had rounded up a few more suspects in connection with the case.

So far the police have arrested six suspects in connection with the case and they were in police custody till July 20, while two, including brother of Usman Abrar, are still at large, they added.

Police sources told Dawn that the capital police raided a house in Shamsabad, Rawalpindi, last week to arrest the suspected video maker, but the police picked up his relative as he was not present in the house, they added.

The police, however, released him last Saturday after the suspect surrendered to the Golra police after obtaining bail before arrest.

Later, the SHO released him but he was again arrested by the Tarnol police under section 427 and 506II.

Police sources said next day he was produced in the court and was given into police custody.

When contacted, Inspector General of Police Qazi Jamilur Rehman, DIG Operations Afzaal Ahmed Kauser and SSP Operations Dr Syed Mustafa Tanweer neither denied nor confirmed the suspect had been arrested.

The IGP said: “Let the SSP operations check it and he will get back to you,” while the DIG said “let me check” with SSP Operations giving a similar response. But no one replied or gave comments over the issue since July 12.

Earlier, the prosecution in the sexual harassment case told the court that after filming the couple the suspects had been collecting extortion from the victim on a regular basis.

The public prosecutor told the judicial magistrate Waqar Gondal that the victim, a resident of Dhok Chaudhrian, has been blackmailed and forced to pay Rs1,125,000 on different occasions.

According to him, a fraction of extorted money has been recovered from the house of an accused Adarss Butt.

He requested the court to extend remand of the accused since the police required their custody to obtain more evidence including voice sampling.

The judicial magistrate extended the physical remand of principal accused Usman Mirza, Aadarss Butt, Ataur Rehman and Farhan till July 20.

The principal accused Usman Mirza told the judge that after the incident, the issue had been resolved the next day.

“We have offered the couple to come and accept our apology, they came and accepted that they were on fault by entering into our premises”, he said.

During the last hearing the prosecution revealed that 14 people detained the couple and filmed them for two and a half hours at gunpoint.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2021