LAHORE - The victim of an alleged gang rape case in Lahore yesterday identified a PML-N youth wing leader as the sole culprit.
Adnan Sanaullah is one of eight young men remanded in further custody on Wednesday, following their arrest last month for the gang rape of a 15-year-old girl in a Mall Road guesthouse.
But in a dramatic twist, the victim told a local court that Sanaullah drugged and raped her amid the presence of a co-accused in the hotel room.
The teenage girl, an 8th grade student, had earlier told the police that a PML-N youth wing member and his accomplices kidnapped her from Multan Road and forced her to drink some intoxicated liquid after which she lost consciousness.
The case has attracted wide attention because of the alleged involvement of Adnan Sanaullah, believed to be a close aide of Punjab Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmad, and wider concerns of a culture of impunity among young members of the political and business elites.
Sanaullah, Abdul Majid, Muhammad Umer, Ameer Ahmad, Haris, Bilawal, Qamar Zaman and Khalid were arrested on December 26 on charges of rape and conspiracy.
The girl also told the court that she had already known the main accused and had agreed to meet him in secret at a guest house after he promised her a birthday gift. “He gave me wine (alcohol) without telling me and then raped me. There was a man named Majid in the room but he did not touch me.
“I was threatened by Sanaullah for not breaking silence,” the court heard.
On the other hand, police sources believe she was gang raped and left unconscious in Star Guest House on Mall Road.
Her family learned of the assault when one of the alleged rapists sent a text message from his cellphone, sources told The Nation.
The message read: “Your daughter is lying unconscious in Room 230 of a hotel on The Mall.”
The family and police searched a number of hotels in the area before they found her unconscious. She was rushed to the Services Hospital where she is still under treatment but her condition is stable.
Initial medical tests revealed she had been assaulted. DNA tests of the eight men and the survivor were conducted by the Punjab Forensic Science Agency.
On the complaint of the survivor's mother, the police registered a case and arrested all eight suspects along with the hotel manager. The hotel facility has since been sealed.
According to the mother, the girl was on her way to a tailor’s shop with her brother when some unidentified men bundled her into a car and drove away.
Whereas the suspects deny the allegations and claim they are being held illegally in custody.
During yesterday’s hearing, the judge extended the remand in custody but criticised the police for failing to produce their case records in court.
The investigators have been ordered to submit the records till next week and explain their reasons for opposing the suspects’ release.
gangs smashed: City police yesterday arrested eight members of two gangs of robbers who were wanted to the police in several cases of house robberies and street crimes.
While addressing a news conference at his office yesterday, Cantonment police division SP Ismail Kharak said the police also seized five motorcycles, mobile phones, and six pistols and Rs 110,000 from their possession. SP (Operations) Imtiaz Sarwar was also present on this occasion. The police investigators have traced at least 13 cases of robberies against the arrested bandits, the officer said.
The bandits were identified by police as Farooq, Amjad, Abid, Shafique, Umar Daraz, Haider Ali, Ansar Ali, and Wajid. Further investigations were underway.
10 cases sent to drug court: District Quality Control Board (DQCB) Wednesday gave approval of sending challans against 10 medical stores to Drug Court for selling spurious, expired and unregistered medicines.
Chairing the meeting of DQCB at Town Hall, District Officer Coordination (DOC) Sundas Irshad also ordered to further extend sealing period of 17 medical stores while owners of 6 stores were also summoned in the next meeting to clarify their position.
DQCB reviewed cases against 33 medical stores and the Chairman after detailed discussion with the members issued necessary orders.
She also directed the district health department to continue a crackdown against quacks and spurious medicines.