An incomplete investigation report (challan) filed before a trial court in connection with the alleged gang rape of two foreign women in July cleared five suspects, including one reportedly linked to a senior minister, of sexual assault charges.
uncertain
report → file → charges
However, the report implicated them in other offences, including illegal detention and extortion.
asserted
report → implicate → detention
The police charged three other suspects, who were allegedly low-paid employees of one of the key suspects, with sexually assaulting the women.
uncertain
who → charge → women
Defence C police registered the first information report (FIR) under Sections 365-A (kidnapping or abducting for extorting property, valuable security), 375-A (rape), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence), 368 (wrongfully concealing or keeping in confinement, kidnapped or abducted person) and 337-L (II) (punishment for other hurt) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) in July.
asserted
police → register → July
The investigation report said the two complainants alleged that they had met one of the three prime suspects in Singapore in 2025 and invited him to invest in their cryptocurrency business.
asserted
they → say → business
After receiving returns on his initial investment, he invested a further $500,000.
asserted
he → receive → 500,000
However, according to the police report, the women did not pay him any profits or return his investment this time.
uncertain
women → accord → investment
In June this year, the suspect invited the foreign women to Pakistan on the pretext of arranging a meeting with another investor.
asserted
suspect → invite → investor
They stayed at a hotel in Islamabad and travelled to Murree and other areas.
asserted
They → stay → Murree
The investigation report alleged that the suspect subsequently told an associate that the women owed him money.
asserted
women → allege → money
The associate then involved another prime suspect, identified as “boss”.
asserted
associate → involve → boss
On June 29, the women were taken to a house in Defence Phase VII, Lahore, where they were allegedly detained and pressured to pay the amount.
uncertain
they → take → amount
Police said the women were forced to transfer around $19,500, which was converted into rupees through a Lahore-based account.
asserted
which → say → account
Of this amount, Rs1.1 million each reportedly went to two of the suspects.
uncertain
million → go → suspects
According to the report submitted to the court, the women alleged that armed men guarded them at the house, threatened them with a knife, a gun and a piece of broken mirror, and warned that they would be killed and their body parts sold if they failed to meet the demands.
uncertain
they → accord → demands
The report said the complainants’ statements and the investigation indicated that three suspects had committed sexual assault.
asserted
suspects → say → assault
Police said they found no evidence of rape against the other five suspects, including the relative of the political figure and the suspect identified as “boss”.
asserted
they → say → boss
The report further stated that the women escaped on July 1 when a car taking them to the airport met with an accident near Bhatta Chowk.
asserted
car → state → Chowk
They raised an alarm, following which the relative of the senior political figure fled, and the police took the women into their protection.
asserted
police → raise → protection
Police also claimed to have recovered Rs4.3 million allegedly extorted from the women, along with a mobile phone and a vehicle allegedly used in the crime.
uncertain
Police → claim → crime
Pistols and a rifle were also recovered, leading to the registration of separate cases under the Arms Ordinance, the report added.
asserted
report → recover → Ordinance
Another suspect was accused of renting the house to the group without informing the authorities, while a further suspect was allegedly involved in helping to destroy evidence.
uncertain
suspect → accuse → evidence
Sections 368 and 201 were added to the case on these grounds.
asserted
Sections → add → grounds
Medical examinations of the complainants were conducted, and their statements under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure were recorded before a magistrate.
asserted
statements → conduct → magistrate
The incomplete investigation report further stated that DNA, fingerprint and polygraph tests had also been conducted, while call data records had been obtained.
asserted
records → state → ?
It added that the Punjab Forensic Science Agency’s reports were still awaited.
asserted
reports → add → ?
Therefore, the police submitted an incomplete investigation report to avoid delays, despite having sufficient evidence against the suspects.
asserted
police → submit → suspects
The police asked the court to summon the suspects through notices.
asserted
police → ask → notices
Additional District and Sessions Judge Rafaqat Ali Gondal has already distributed copies of the police report among the suspects and fixed Nov 11 for the next hearing.
asserted
Gondal → distribute → hearing
Advocate Salman Shahid, defence counsel for two of the suspects charged with sexual assault, accused the police of favouring the key suspects in its investigation.
asserted
Shahid → charge → investigation
He claimed that his clients were low-paid employees of one of the key suspects and had been made scapegoats.
asserted
clients → claim → scapegoats
One of his clients was a member of the janitorial staff at the property where the alleged incident took place, he added.
asserted
he → allege → place
In July, Lahore Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Faisal Kamran said that the police had been ordered to treat a suspect — reportedly linked to a senior government minister — in the case like “any other criminal”.
uncertain
police → say → criminal
DIG Kamran had recounted the events leading up to the recovery of the women and the subsequent arrest of the suspects in a press conference.
asserted
Kamran → recount → conference
He said that during the investigation it had emerged that a “criminal gang” may have been behind the incident.
uncertain
gang → say → incident
He further vowed that the police would ensure no legal loophole — which could be exploited in favour of the suspect — was left.
uncertain
which → vow → suspect
The two women departed Pakistan on July 3.
asserted
women → depart → July
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