SAHIWAL: Farid Town Police booked four of the same family, including two beauty salon owner women, for rape, extortion and blackmail of a trainee beautician.

The police registered a case on the court direction against the main suspect, his mother, cousin, and the cousin’s wife under Section 292-C and Section 376, citing a five-year pattern of rape, extortion and exploitation.

The victim girl, a resident of Chak 86/6-R, who aspired to become a professional beautician, joined a beauty salon operated by the main suspect’s cousin’s wife and her husband at their residence in the same locality in October 2020. Their business partners, a relative woman and her son, also lived in the same house. The girl stated that several girls were enrolled in the beautician training course. However, after three months, she was horrified to receive from the woman’s son an explicit video of herself on her mobile phone. He told the victim that he had secretly recorded multiple videos of her and other trainee girls, using secret cameras installed inside the salon washrooms and restrooms. The suspect demanded money and sexual favours, threatening to release the videos online if she refused. Over time, he repeatedly blackmailed her and sexually exploited her.

The victim recalled that, under duress, she had given the suspect a gold chain and ring in an attempt to prevent the videos from being posted online. The exploitation continued until 2023. In 2024, the victim’s parents arranged her marriage to her cousin, after which she relocated to her in-laws house at Bashir Colony. Despite her attempts to escape, the suspect continued his demands, asking for Rs200,000 from her ‘Salami money’ she had received on her wedding. Shockingly, the mother arrived in person to collect the money from the victim, proving her involvement in the scheme. The victim later realised that the suspect’s mother had been aware of the exploitation from the beginning. The suspect eventually pressured the girl into introducing him to her husband and in-laws, which she reluctantly did on March 8, 2024.

Man from beauty salon owners’ family used videos to blackmail girl for five years

Even after her marriage, the suspect allegedly persisted, demanding money and coercing her into sexual encounters at the salon. Desperate to escape, she stopped using her mobile phone. After giving birth to a child, she was devastated when, on Jan 4, 2025, the suspect sent her explicit videos to her husband’s mobile number through his TikTok account. Left with no other option, she confided in her husband and two family members.

A local Panchayat was convened, during which the suspect and his mother were confronted. The Panchayat ruled that the suspect must delete the videos and return the extorted money and gold and he promised to do so. However, he failed to honour his promise. Following his refusal to comply, the victim girl approached the court which ordered registration of a case on June 2.

Farid Town SHO Subhay Sadiq told Dawn that the case was registered on the court orders but the complainant had yet to contact police directly. He added that the police were waiting for the complainant to come forward.

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2025