SAHIWAL: A woman from Lahore was raped and robbed of Rs17,000 and a mobile phone allegedly by her business partner at a house on Madhali Road on Monday night.

The Farid Town Police registered a case under sections 375 A, 292C, and 382 of the Pakistan Penal Code against the main suspect and an unidentified accomplice.

Reports said the alleged rape survivor had started an online clothing business with the man. She was responsible for purchasing unstitched fabric from Lahore and sending it to Sahiwal, where it was tailored according to specific designs.

The finished products were then sold through online stores.

The woman alleged she dispatched unstitched cloth worth Rs150,000 but did not receive the agreed-upon returns. Following this, the suspect cut off communication with her. On Sept 16, she met the suspect in Sahiwal, where he invited her to his house for a dinner.

During the visit, the suspect raped her, tore her clothes and his accomplice locked the door from the outside. The friend also recorded the incident.

Her cries for help alarmed the suspects, who threatened to release the video on social media if she reported the incident. During the assault, the suspect snatched her purse and a mobile phone.

The Farid Town police responded to a 15 emergency call and rushed to the scene, but the suspect had already fled.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2024