KARACHI, April 5: Police have failed to arrest the absconding rapists in the Ramaswami gang-rape case thoughthe provincial police chief had ordered on Thursday that the culprit must be arrested by Friday.

Sindh IG Syed Kamal Shah had directed city police chief Asad Jehangir Khan that all the accused in the gang-rape should be arrested by April 5, saying that as the gang-rape committed by five criminals, including two policemen, had tarnished the police image and generated hatred against the police.

He also directed the city police chief that the case should be investigated properly and the challan be submitted in a court by the second week of this month.

However, the police have failed to arrest the absconding rapists, identified as Malik Hasnat, son of Inspector Malik Shabbir Awan, and constable Malik Qamar. The former is alleged mastermind of the ghastly act.

The IG had further directed the city police chief to convey the progress on the case daily to the press to keep the public informed about it. However, no statement on the case bythe city police chief was issued on Friday.

The Nabi Bux police, in whose jurisdiction the crime was committed, said the case had been transferred to the investigation wing, which was being handled by officials in the Old CIA Centre building. The officials said they did not know about the progress in the case.

No official was available for comment in the investigation wing. The DIG for Investigation, Fayyaz Leghari, SSP (Investigation) Manzoor Mughal and other high ranking police officials could not be contacted over the phone despite repeated attempts.

The sources maintained that the police arrested Malik Qamar, a police constable posted at Investigation-II and son of a retired inspector, Malik Ahmed Khan, but the police officials denied the arrest of Qamar.

The sources said as Malik Qamar was working in the Investigation wing of the police, and his colleagues were investigating the case, they were allegedly providing a cover to Qamar.

Five culprits had raped two sisters in front of their father and brother in their Ramaswami home on April 1.

The police, who had first refused to register the case on the complaint of the father of the ill-fated girls, later arrested Malik Safeer, Mohammad Kashif and Asmatullah for their involvement in the ghastly incident.