LAHORE: Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said on Friday no rapist or perpetrator would escape justice simply because he has money after police arrested a key suspect, who had been out on bail, in the alleged gang rape of an Azeri woman.

Police arrested the suspect and his associates outside the sessions court despite an extension in his interim pre-arrest bail in the case.

The arrest triggered a scuffle between the police and the suspect’s associates, leaving people injured on both sides.

The chief minister posted on X (formerly twitter), “In a recent rape case, it was revealed that the accused’s wealthy family allegedly offered 1.5–2 crore to the victim in exchange for withdrawing her allegations, despite her statement already having been recorded under Section 164.”

No rapist or perpetrator will escape justice simply because he has money: CM

“It was further alleged that the judge who granted bail to the accused had also been bribed,” she added.

The post said, if these allegations are true, they raise deeply disturbing questions about the integrity of the justice system and the vulnerability of rape survivors to financial pressure and the misuse of power.

The chief minister maintained, “I will continue to keep a close eye on such cases to ensure that no rapist or perpetrator escapes justice simply because he has money, influence, or connections. Justice must never be for sale, and no one should be above the law.”

During the bail proceedings, the suspect appeared before Additional District & Sessions Judge (AD&SJ) Rafaqat Ali Gondal along with his counsel, Safdar Shaheen Pirzada.

The judge noted that the petitioner/suspect had not joined the investigation.

On being asked, the counsel stated that the petitioner had apprehension of his arrest in another case.

He alleged that the police had been aggressive, had repeatedly raided his house and had illegally taken five vehicles into custody from his residence.

He pointed out that a heavy contingent of police was also present outside the court allegedly to arrest the petitioner.

However, Investigating Officer (IO) Sub-Inspector Faryal Malik and DSP Qamar Abbas verified before the court that no other FIR was registered against the petitioner and that he would not be arrested if he joined the investigation.

The police officials said they were ready to let the petitioner join the investigation in the court premises.

At this, the judge directed the petitioner to join the investigation.

The petitioner recorded his statement before the IO and was interrogated in the courtroom.

Taking note of the apprehension expressed by the petitioner of his arrest within the court premises, despite being on bail, AD&SJ Gondal directed the security chief, to give the petitioner a safe passage within the court premises.

Meanwhile, Advocate Rao Muhammad Asghar filed an application on behalf of the complainant seeking to record her statement through video link and to allow her duly appointed attorney to get her statement recorded before the police.

He also presented a video statement of the complainant before the court, wherein she is seen withdrawing her previous allegations against the suspects.

The judge, however, sought arguments on the application at the next hearing and extended the bail of the petitioner till Oct 27.

The suspect left the court premises accompanied with her over a dozen ‘friends’.

However, police personnel in civvies managed to arrest the suspect despite resistance offered by his associates.

People on both sides sustained injuries, while the clothes of several individuals were torn during the scuffle.

The police also arrested several associates of the suspect.

Advocate Pirzada told Dawn that a petition for the production and release of the suspect had been filed before the sessions court.

He said police took the suspect into custody outside the courtroom despite the extension of his bail. He said that detaining his client despite the court’s order was illegal.

The father of the suspect alleged that the ‘illegal’ arrest had been made by the Crime Control Department (CCD). He further alleged that the CCD would kill his son in a fake encounter.

Defence-C police had registered the case on the complaint of the Azeri woman, who accused three men of subjecting her to gang-rape. She also accused two women of abetment in the crime.

Two of the male suspects and both women were already in police custody.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2026