LAHORE: In two alarming cases, a married woman committed suicide after ‘gang rape’ in Sheikhupura while a girl was gang-raped in Lahore.

Mother of three, `M’ was allegedly kidnapped from the premises of the Shahbaz Sharif Mother and Child Hospital, Sheikhpura, she had visited to inquire after the health of her sister’s ailing daughter.

According to reports, the woman restricted herself to her home following the sexual assault to avoid her relatives and neighbours. Giving in to social presure, she committed suicide by swallowing rat poison on Sunday, some five days after the rape. Initial police inquiries suggested that the woman was kidnapped by three security guards of the government hospital who took her to an undisclosed place where they gang-raped her.

She later brought the matter to the notice of her mother who immediately visited the police station and lodged a case against the security guards.

Job-seeking girl gang-raped in Lahore

When medical examination confirmed the sexual assault, police arrested one of the rapists, prime accused Kazim, while others managed to get pre-arrest bail.

According to police, the woman struggled to get rid of post-traumatic stress but could not. Apparently, no one from the family and police got her admitted to a trauma centre.

Sheikhpura District Police Officer Bilal Zafar Sheikh told Dawn the incident took place on May 8 when the woman visited the hospital to see her niece.

As her mother Azra lodged the FIR of her kidnap and rape, the police arrested Kazim the same night. He was now on judicial remand. The DPO said the woman was taken to a local magistrate where she recorded her statement under section 164 of CrPC. She also underwent medical examination. He said the final opinion on rape would be given after receiving a report from the Punjab Forensic Science Agency. Mr Sheikh said that he himself met the woman’s family and directed the police to get the bails of the other accused cancelled from the court.

In Lahore, a girl hailing from Jhang district was allegedly raped by five persons in Sattokatla.

She told police that the prime suspect Umar had offered her a job in Lahore, suggesting her to reach here to avail the opportunity.

She said as she reached Lahore, the suspect picked her up from Thokar Niaz Baig and took her to a quarter in the jurisdiction of Sattokatla police.

The victim said that she found some other strangers there who seemed to be friends of Umar and identified later as Ghulam Mustafa, Nauman, Azhar Iqbal etc.

The suspects allegedly raped her and tortured her when she resisted their bid. After committing the heinous crime, she said, the rapists snatched her mobile phone and purse, hurling life threats if she reported the matter to the police.

The police lodged an FIR on the complaint of the girl.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2024