LAHORE: The Punjab government has formed Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the case lodged by the Lahore police against those who propagated a “fake” story of rape of a female student of a private college, that sparked a violent agitation and campaign against the state institutions.

In its first meeting headed by Lahore Investigation SSP Mohammad Naveed, the JIT held a brainstorming session over the background perspective of the rape allegations, role of the social media handlers and the consequent violent protests, which led to the unrest in the city.

The six-member JIT comprised Lahore Cantonment investigation SP, Barki Circle investigation DSP and representatives from the Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI), Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

An official said that the JIT would obtain data from the FIA to identify the people who launched propaganda on social media which has been the prime source of spreading the story of the alleged rape of a girl studying at a private institute in Gulberg, Lahore.

He said the JIT would also visit the Punjab College for Women, Gulberg, to examine the record of the CCTV cameras installed inside and outside the campus and the violent agitation occurring there.

The was assigned special task to investigate and determine the social media handlers’ respective role and initiate action against them, if found involved in propagating the story of alleged rape of the girl that incited students and general public to violence in Lahore and other parts of Punjab.

The JIT has been directed to primarily focus on the First Information Report (FIR) lodged with the Lahore Defence A Police Station on the complaint of a police official, Mohammad Sajjad, under Section 20 of the Pre­vention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, which deals with “offences against dignity of a natural person”, while other sections include 354 (assault or criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty); 500 (punishment for defamation); 501 (printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory); and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief).

The FIR says that the “fake information” had sparked a violent agitation in the provincial capital, and that the mob had set goods on fire and caused financial loss to the public property and the educational institution.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2024