A suspect in the Lahore motorway gang-rape case was handed over to police on a 14-day judicial remand approved by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Tuesday.
The suspect, Shafqat Ali, was arrested from Dibalpur a day earlier and confessed to committing the crime alongside key suspect, Abid Ali, who remains at large.
A case was registered against Shafqat on behalf of the gang-rape survivor’s relative, police informed the court. It added that apart from Sections 376 and 392 of the Pakistan Penal Code, a terrorism clause has also been included in the first information report (FIR) filed at a Lahore police station.
Shafqat is the second suspected rapist apart from Abid Ali. Sources said Waqarul Hassan Shah and Abbas are not suspects anymore. They added that the arrested man is a habitual offender and had been involved in crimes in the past as well. They said Waqar claimed that Abid had links to Shafqat and his brother-in-law, Abbas, the latter of whom has been detained. Shafqat was then arrested from Dipalpur after being traced through his phone SIM card.
Meanwhile, police on Tuesday arrested another suspect in the case during a raid in Chichawatni. It said the arrested man, named Bala Mistri, is the owner of the auto workshop where prime suspects Shafqat and Abid Ali used to work.
The police said investigators are interrogating Bala Mistri about the hideouts of Abid. Shafqat had told the police that Bala Mistri was not involved in the felony. Abid had phoned him and Bala Mistri the day the crime was committed but Mistri didn’t turn up, Shafqat was quoted as telling the police. A police official, however, said Mistri had remained involved in criminal activities along with Abid.
