ISLAMABAD, March 20: A bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) has ordered for an inquiry into the alleged gang rape and blackmailing of a woman NP by some police officials.

Justice Ali Nawaz Chohan of the LHC Rawalpindi bench appointed additional session judge Syed Muzzafar Ali Shah as the inquiry officer in the case. The judge directed the petitioner to appear before the lower court on March 27.

The petitioner along with her husband and three children appeared before the superior court judge and submitted a written application in which accusations had been levelled against ASP Islamabad Janbaz, SHO Shahzad Town police Ahmad Iqbal, sub- inspectors Shaukat and Ghulam Mohammad, two constables and some other persons.

She alleged that the accused had been raping and blackmailing her, therefore, an FIR should be registered against them.

On Monday, the petitioner, her husband and children appeared before the court and stated their story.

The victim’s husband told the judge that the accused police officials kept on blackmailing them and extorted an amount of Rs2.5 million from them. They also snatched three vehicles from us and occupied one of our houses, he further said.

Hearing such arguments, the judge asked the petitioner about his business and how much taxes he paid. On which, he told the court that he dealt in vehicles.

“For the last 18 years, I have been a member of chamber of commerce and pay about Rs9,000 income tax annually,” he said.

About his property, the petitioner said he had one house in Rawalpindi besides possessing 116 Kanals in Sanam Gardens. He also claimed to have property in Faisalabad.

Federal counsel Shamshadullah Cheema told the court that he had conducted three inquiries into this case. Besides, Assistant Commissioner Islamabad City Dr Ihtesham Anwar also probed the allegations and it was found that all the allegations were baseless.

He further said that 13 cases had been registered against these people in different police stations including Secretariat, Shahzad Town, Golra Sharif, Airport, Westridge, Cantonment, Civil Lines and New Town. Their story is fabricated, he pleaded.

He said despite this an inquiry could be conducted again under any officer the petitioners had trust in.

On this, the applicant prayed to the judge that the probe be carried out by additional session judge Rawalpindi Syed Muzzafar Ali Shah.

Justice Ali Nawaz Chohan directed the latter to hold an inquiry and asked the petitioners to approach the lower court on March 27.