LAHORE: Police said on Wednesday a CCTV footage would be made part of the investigation into stripping and filming of four women at a market in Faisalabad.

Five of the 10 suspects allegedly involved in assault on the trash picking women after accusing them of theft had already been arrested. The CCTV footage of a shop viral on social media websites showed that the women entered the shop and picked up something. However, a man standing in the shop tried to stop one of the women and after failing to stop, he came out of the shop.

The man later tried to lock the shop but the women resisted and came out of the shop where the man grabbed two of the four women and beat them besides calling other people as seen in the CCTV footage.

It showed that the women were unbuttoning their clothes and two others tried to run away but were later captured by the mob. The video also showed that the women were stripping themselves before the crowd and one of them was weeping in the shop while another was dragged into the shop by the men.

Faisalabad City Police Officer Dr Abid Khan told Dawn that the new footage of the incident was included in the investigation. He said the act of undressing by women would also be included in the investigation.

On Monday, a woman lodged a complaint with the Millat Town police station stating that she was collecting solid waste with her three women companions around 10:30am at the Bawa Chak Market, Yousaf Chowk, when she felt thirsty and went inside a shop — Usman Electric Store — owned by Saddam and asked for a bottle of water.

She said the owner alleged that they entered his shop to steal money and electronic appliances. They called other shopkeepers and helpers and beat them. “The suspects also stripped them and dragged them in the market,” she said.

Later, police arrested five nominated suspects who were also presented in court which handed over the suspect to police on physical remand.

Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2021