SAHIWAL: Police have arrested two key members of a gang allegedly involved in honey-trapping, blackmail, and the registration of fabricated rape cases under different identities at multiple police stations over the past three years.

According to police, the gang extorted large sums of money from victims by threatening them with rape allegations and later securing out-of-court settlements, withdrawing complaints, or changing statements during court proceedings.

District Police Officer (DPO) Usman Tipu told Dawn that two suspects Ameeran Bibi and her maternal cousin Nadeem had been arrested while investigations into five other alleged gang members were underway.

Police registered a first information report (477/26) under Section 22-2(a) of the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Act, 2021, against two suspects on the complaint of Sub-Inspector Alam Sher of Fateh Sher Police Station.

Investigators claim the gang orchestrated at least four such cases between 2024 and 2026.

Fateh Sher Station House Officer Zafar Wattoo said Ameeran Bibi allegedly operated a brothel and lured victims through phone calls. Once targets were trapped, she either recorded compromising videos or threatened to file rape cases unless her monetary demands were met.

Police said she sometimes acted as the complainant herself and, in other cases, allegedly assumed the identities of relatives, including nieces and sisters, to register genuine or fabricated rape complaints.

One such case involved FIR No. 1507/25, registered under Section 376 of the Pakistan Penal Code at Fateh Sher Police Station on Dec 12, 2025. In that case, Ameeran Bibi, presenting herself as a resident of Bhutto Nagar, Sahiwal, accused ‘B’ of Tibbi Kalou Wali, Pakpattan, of rape.

Initial police investigations supported the allegation and an additional district and sessions judge extended B’s interim bail until Jan 23, 2026. However, during subsequent court proceedings, Ameeran Bibi and her witness, Nadeem, withdrew their statements and told the court that no rape had occurred.

Police investigators later suspected that the complainant had obtained a substantial amount of money from the accused through blackmail. The unusual development prompted investigators to scrutinise Ameeran Bibi’s identity and background.

In another case, FIR No. 213/26 was registered at City Police Station, Sahiwal, where Ameeran Bibi allegedly posed as Maria, the niece of Muhammad Yaar, and accused Muhammad Ashiq of Chak No. 51/SP. Investigators later concluded that agricultural land had been transferred through an out-of-court settlement.

A third case involved FIR No. 2033/25 under Sections 376 and 354 PPC at Ghala Mandi Police Station. Police said Ameeran Bibi allegedly impersonated Mariam Bibi, niece of Nasreen of Chak No. 130/9-L, and accused ‘S’ and ‘Ba’ of Chak No. 139/9-L of rape on Oct 26, 2025.

Investigators subsequently determined that despite the use of different names and identities, the complaints were linked to Ameeran Bibi.

DPO Usman Tipu said police are legally bound to register rape complaints immediately due to the sensitive nature of such allegations. However, he said subsequent investigations in these cases exposed what police believe was an organised pattern of fraudulent activity.

He added that investigations had uncovered evidence of blackmail and impersonation, leading to the arrest of the gang’s alleged key operatives.

Police further claimed that Ameeran Bibi, a divorced woman originally from Pakpattan, had previously operated a brothel with an associate named Iqbal before relocating to Bhutto Nagar, Sahiwal.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2026