LAHORE: A Naat Khwan and his two accomplices facing charges of rape in Multan on Monday secured a protective bail from the Lahore High Court for five days while the girl has been sent to judicial lock-up in case of extorting the suspects.

Multan women police station had registered a rape case against the Naat Khwan, on complaint of the girl, a Pharm-D student at the Bahauddin Zakariya University on Friday.

The Naat Khwan and his two accomplices approached the LHC to get protective bail till next hearing on Nov 15.

On Saturday, police registered an extortion case against the woman.

The FIR, available with Dawn, states the woman had confessed to her crime of extortion during interrogation, stating that she and her seven accomplices, including the two landlords, her lawyer and the journalist made a plan to call Naat Khwan to their flat for a party. The girl and her accomplices put pressure on the Naat Khwan and extorted Rs2.7m from him for settlement.

Sources claimed that the police conducted raids at the house of the Naat Khwan and took his wife and sister into custody which forced him to secure protective bail.

Multan City Police Officer (CPO) Sadiq Ali Dogar said four policemen involved in facilitating the Naat Khwan to reach an agreement with the girl were suspended from service and legal action would be taken against them.

He said the Naat Khwan and his accomplice had secured a protective bail and would be investigated while the girl, her journalist and a lawyer friends involved in extorting money were arrested and they were sent to jail on judicial remand. He said legal action would be taken on both cases and further investigation would reveal the nature of the cases.

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2024