LAHORE: A woman lawyer, who escaped an abduction attempt during which her car was also snatched, alleged lack of cooperation by police in recovering her vehicle and arresting the culprits.

On Tuesday last, two armed men ‘kidnapped’ the lawyer when she was sitting in the driving seat of her car parked in a DHA street. The criminals drove away the car in broad daylight after dropping the lawyer at some distance. They also took away a laptop, cash and other valuables that were in the car.

On being informed of the incident, police registered a case against unidentified criminals and started investigation.

The complainant told Dawn she was abducted and tortured in the car by the criminals, but the police did not include abduction charges in the first information report (FIR).

Narrating the incident, the lawyer said she was sitting in her vehicle when two men arrived there in a car. She said one of the criminals occupied the back seat of her car, while the other first thrashed her and then took the driving seat.

She said the intruders subjected her to torture and tried to get her phone, which she had already placed under the car’s carpet. Meanwhile, she said, an another car kept following her vehicle closely.

The lawyer said though she suffered injuries to her neck, face, back and legs because of the torture by the criminals, the police did not get her examined medically.

About the police claim of arresting one of the suspects, the lawyer said she was not called for identification of the suspect so far.

She said several other victims of such crimes from Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Sheikhupura and Lahore had contacted her after the incident was reported in the media and complained about lack of police help in arresting the criminals and recovering their vehicles.

She said the criminals had also abducted some of the victims and released them after receiving ransom from their families.

On Saturday, police had claimed to have arrested one of the suspects identified as Abdullah from Bedian Road. Police claimed he was a member of a Rawalpindi-based gang involved in several cases of car theft.

Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ghulam Mahmood Dogar and Anti Vehicle Lifting Squad SP Aftab Phullarwan were not available for their comments.

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2022