LHC seeks SHO report over suspect’s detention in foreign women case

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday sought a report from the Defence-C police station station house officer (SHO) on a petition alleging the illegal detention of a suspect described by the prosecution as the “boss” of a group accused in the alleged abduction and rape of two foreign women.

On July 2, police rescued the two women within hours of receiving an emergency complaint, arrested four suspects, and launched an investigation into allegations of abduction, ransom demands and sexual assault. Three more suspects were later arrested, bringing the total number of accused presented before the court to seven.

Justice Abher Gul adjourned the hearing until July 20 after taking up a habeas corpus petition filed by Mumtaz Bibi, the mother of suspect Waheed Tahir.

Representing the petitioner, advocate Rana Intizar Hussain argued that police had taken Waheed Tahir from his home on July 3 but had not produced him before any court. He submitted that the law requires an arrested person to be produced before a magistrate within 24 hours of arrest.

The counsel further informed the court that he had received information suggesting Waheed Tahir was currently admitted to Services Hospital.

During the hearing, Justice Gul asked the petitioner’s counsel what relief was being sought. The counsel argued that the suspect had been kept in illegal custody in violation of legal requirements and requested the court to order an end to his unlawful detention and direct his release.

Also Read: Five-day physical remand extended of four suspects in foreign women case

The petition named the Punjab inspector general of police, the superintendent jail and other officials as respondents. It contended that although Tahir had been arrested in connection with the case, he had not been produced before a competent court despite the expiry of the mandatory legal period.

The court directed the SHO of Defence-C police station to submit a report before the next hearing.

The prosecution alleged that Tahir acted as the “boss” of the group involved in the offences. However, the present petition concerns only the legality of his detention and the alleged failure to produce him before a court within the time prescribed by law.

The court has so far granted police physical remand of all seven suspects.

On July 3, a judicial magistrate granted a five-day physical remand of the first four suspects — Raza Dar, Hassan Raza, Sajid Ali and Sikandar Khan — which was extended by another five days on July 8. On Saturday, the court also granted a five-day physical remand of the remaining three suspects — Rizwan, Nasir and Nawaz.

One of the suspects is related to an influential political figure. However, Lahore Deputy Inspector General (Operations) Faisal Kamran said on Sunday that the suspect, who is reportedly linked to a senior government minister, would not receive preferential treatment and would be investigated like any other accused.

SHO’s interim bail dismissed

In a related development, a Lahore sessions court on Monday dismissed the interim bail application of Defence-C SHO Faryad Ali after he failed to appear in a case alleging that he threatened a judicial magistrate handling proceedings related to the alleged abduction and rape of the two foreign women.

Additional Sessions Judge Abdul Quddus dismissed the interim bail petition for non-prosecution after the SHO failed to attend the hearing. The court had earlier granted interim pre-arrest bail to Ali and sought a response from Mustafaabad Police Station.

According to the FIR, the SHO visited the judicial magistrate’s residence and allegedly threatened him during proceedings related to the high-profile case. The FIR further alleged that he entered the magistrate’s residence at night, violating the sanctity of the home.

A separate FIR was subsequently registered at Mustafaabad Police Station over the alleged intimidation of the judicial magistrate.

The case

The two foreign women arrived in Islamabad on June 26 before travelling to Lahore on June 29. He said that at around midnight on July 1, the Safe City Authority received information from a man identified as Carlos, who reported that his daughter had been abducted in Pakistan and that he had received a ransom demand.

“Police subsequently launched an investigation using the relevant phone numbers, the vehicle’s registration details, travel records, and footage from safe city cameras, while conducting raids in Shahdara, Defence, Sargodha, and other areas. The recovery of the women was our top priority,” he said.

Kamran said investigators traced the family tree of a suspect and carried out raids at various locations. “During one such raid, residents of a house informed police that the suspect’s family had previously lived there as tenants and was believed to have links with the deputy prime minister. The suspect was later identified as Mohammad Raza Dar,” he added.

He said police verified the information with the suspect’s family, obtained his phone number, and began tracing his location. “The family would certainly have asked the suspect to surrender,” he said.

Read More: 4 arrested for sexual assault of foreign women

The DIG said senior police officials and the government had been informed after investigators discovered the suspect’s alleged links to a senior political figure. “We received strict instructions from the government that he should not be treated any differently from any other criminal,” he said.

He added that investigators were also examining the possibility that a gang, rather than a single individual, was involved in the incident.

According to the DIG, the suspect was driving the two women to the airport when an altercation broke out inside the vehicle near Bhatta Chowk.

“During the scuffle, the vehicle collided with an object, after which the women jumped out and sought refuge at a nearby filtration plant, from where police recovered them safely,” he added.

Kamran said judicial magistrates’ orders were required before the women’s medical examination could be conducted.

Also Read: Locals nab foreigners trying to kidnap nomadic girls

“As the magistrate was not on duty and the women were scheduled to leave Pakistan the following morning, a station house officer was sent to the magistrate’s residence late at night to obtain the necessary orders. I apologise for that,” he said.

The DIG said police contacted the embassies of Spain and the Netherlands after recovering the women. The Spanish embassy informed investigators that one of the women was a Venezuelan national.

Following consultations with the embassies, the women agreed to undergo medical examinations and later consented to recording their statements before a magistrate under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Kamran said the embassies had also requested that the women be repatriated at the earliest, adding that police were continuing to investigate all aspects of the case.