KASUR: Two unidentified robbers allegedly gang-raped a minor girl at gunpoint in front of her father and other family members during a road robbery near Chunian bypass in Pattoki.

According to the complainant, he along with his brother (father of victim), a nephew (6) and a niece (13) was on his way home on a motorcycle from village Kani near Pattoki to Khokhar Tochar Ashraf village in Chunian. When they reached near Chak 7 in the area of the Pattoki Saddar Police Station, two robbers intercepted them at gunpoint.

They took all the four riders to a nursery along the road, tied the two men and the minor boy with a tree and raped the girl at gunpoint before their eyes.

The first information report said the suspects tortured the victim during the gang-rape when she resisted and raised a hue and cry for help. Later, they also took away cash, mobile phones and a motorcycle from the victim family.

Police shifted the girl to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Pattoki, for medical aid.

Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz took notice of the incident and visited the residence of the victim at Khokhar Tochar Ashraf in Chunian tehsil.

Hamza met the victim girl, her father and other family members. Expressing sympathy with the family, he assured them of the early arrest of the suspects.

Talking to the family, he said it was his duty to provide the girl with justice and assured the family that all requirements of justice would be fulfilled while the suspects would not be able to evade punishment.

He said the government was standing by the family who would be given all possible assistance. He said the investigation into the case would be conducted by the outstanding and professional officers of Lahore.

Talking to the media persons, the chief minister said he had come to visit the affected family as he had profoundly felt their grief. He also sought a report from the inspector general of police on the gang-rape incident.

IGP Rao Sardar Ali Khan also took notice of the incident and sought a report from the RPO concerned. He directed the officers to arrest all the suspects involved in the incident and asked the Kasur DPO to keep a close contact with the affected family.

District Police Officer Sohaib Ashraf told Dawn the victim had been discharged from hospital after medical treatment and counseling. He said he had constituted five teams for arresting the suspects and a search operation had been launched in the area.

Later, in a video message on social media, the DPO confirmed the rape incident and said that samples had been sent to the laboratory of the Punjab Forensic Science Authority. He claimed a suspect had been arrested on suspicion but it’s not confirmed yet whether he was involved in the incident.

Police lodged a case against two unidentified robbers under Section 376 (punishment for rape) and 392 (offence of robbery) of the PPC on the complaint of the girl’s uncle.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2022