BAHAWALPUR: Vehari Additional Sessions Judge Yasir Hayat on Wednesday handed down a death sentence on two counts and Rs500,000 fine to a man and a two-year jail term and Rs200,000 fine to his accomplice in a case of rape and blackmail of two female university students.

According to the prosecution, the accused, Hamid Rasool, had lured two female university students, ‘F’ and ‘S’, last year with the help of his co-accused Asif Tarar, on the pretext of providing them an online job.

The convicts raped both students, recorded their objectionable videos and blackmailed them.

On the complaint of the victims, Vehari police, after registration of two separate FIRs –No 427/24 and 428/24 -- arrested Hamid and Asif and submitted the case challan in the court.

Co-accused handed down two-year term, Rs0.2m fine

Announcing the judgment, the judge ordered the payment of the fine amount to the victims. Otherwise, in the event of default, the convicts would have to undergo an additional six-month imprisonment.

SUICIDE BID: A young woman, who attempted suicide by jumping into the swollen River Sutlej near Bahawalpur city on Tuesday night, was saved by a policeman, putting his own life at risk.

According to Saddar police SHO Abid Hamid, the 20-year-old woman, clad in a black burqa, jumped into the river from Bahawalpur Highway bridge.

He said a police patrolling team spotted the woman jumping into the river and one of the constables, putting his own life at risk, jumped into the swollen river and rescued the young woman.

She was brought to Bahawalpur Saddar police station, where she was provided counseling and psychotherapy, he added.

The woman, a resident of Mahatma Basti near Darbar Mahal, Bahawalpur, told the police that she had decided to take the extreme step because of domestic disputes and poverty.

The police later handed over the young woman to her uncle.

BOOKED: Burewala Model Town police in Vehari district booked seven persons, including a woman, on the charges of blackmailing a trader and extorting Rs0.5 million from him.

According to the police, a woman, Shaista Parveen, allegedly called trader Shahid Ali to a house in Lalazar Colony, Burewala, on the pretext of the illness of her mother.

The police say that when Shahid reached there, Shaista, along with her six male accomplices, including Waleed and Zahid, subjected him to torture and recorded his nude video.

The suspects demanded Rs1 million from Shahid, threatening to share the video on social media.

According to police, the victim, Shahid Ali, paid Rs0.5m, along with a golden chain, to the suspects who freed him.

The victim reported the matter to the Burewala chapter of Anjuman-e-Tajran, whose office-bearers complained to the police.

According to police, on the complaint of traders, a case was registered against the seven-member gang allegedly led by Shaista Parveen. No arrest has been made so far.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2025