Motorway Gang-Rape Suspect Shafqat Ali has been Sent to Jail for 14 Days on Judicial Remand

One of the three suspects, Shafqat Ali code-named Bagga was arrested on Monday when the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Police launched a raid on a house in Okara district. His DNA had matched with the samples gathered from the scene after he admitted to committing the crime. 

The suspect was brought by Gujjarpura police in an armored vehicle to the court. He was then presented before the judge covered face. 

The prosecution requested to hold an identity parade of the suspect, which was approved by Judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta. 

Inspector Zulfiqar, the investigation officer of the case gave the suspect’s past crimes history to the judge and asked for a 14-day judicial remand. He further informed the court that the suspect’s DNA had matched with the samples taken from the scene. 

The judge accepted the plea and asked the police for making special arrangements so that the suspect’s identity parade be carried out as soon as possible. He further clarified that the suspect should not be mingled with other suspects. 

The court has ordered police to bring the suspect back on 29 September. 

When the judge asked the suspect during the hearing if he wanted to say anything, he said to have mercy and release him, on which the judge told him about his DNA matching with the samples from the crime scene and said that he will be let go if he did not do anything. 

An intelligence-based operation (IBO) was carried out by CTD which helped in the suspect’s arrest from his sister’s house in Depalpur late night, on 13 September, a senior officer told.

Under interrogation, Shafqat told the officers that Abid raped the victim first and then forced him to do it too and if he didn’t comply, he would shoot him dead. 

He furthered told the detectives that they had just raped the woman when they heard the officials of Dolphin Squadreaching at the spot. Upon a warning shot fired by a Dolphin squad personnel, they left the scene and hid in Karol Ghati, a nearby jungle, for two hours to avoid getting caught. 

On September 9, Monday, a woman was traveling on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway when her car’s fuel ended. Two robbers, namely Abid Ali and Shafqat Ali, then appeared out of nowhere and attacked the woman’s car, broke the glass, dragged the woman and her children out, and gage-raped her in front of her three children. The second suspect has yet not been arrested by the police. 

The unfortunate incident has left the entire country in sheer anger and trauma, with many asking the country’s administration to take strict actions in order to eradicate violence against women from the country.