Verdict in motorway gang-rape case tomorrow

LAHORE: After arguments from the defence and prosecution concluded in the motorway gang-rape case, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday reserved its verdict and is set to announce the judgment tomorrow (Saturday).

On September 9, 2020 the accused — Abid Malhi and Shafqat Ali, allegedly raped a woman at gunpoint in the Gujjarpura area while she was waiting for help on the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway after her car ran out of fuel. A criminal complaint of the incident was lodged with the Gujjarpura police under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). The Gujjarpura police had filed a charge sheet against the accused. The police had requested the court for awarding strict punishment to the accused as sufficient evidence was available against them.

ATC Judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta conducted the case hearing at Camp Jail on Thursday, wherein the jail authorities produced Abid Malhi and Shafqat Ali, prime accused and co-accused respectively.

Deputy prosecutors general Hafiz Asghar and Waqar Bhatti represented the prosecution, whereas advocates Sher Gull Qureshi and Qasim Arain were counsels for the accused.

During the proceedings, the prosecutors argued that the accused gang-raped the victim woman at gunpoint and solid evidence was available against them. They argued that the accused were arrested after their DNA matched with the samples collected from crime scene whereas the victim also identified them during the identification parade, held in the presence of a magistrate.

They also submitted that co-accused Shafqat admitted the crime before a judicial magistrate. They pleaded with the court for handing down strict punishment to the accused as they committed a heinous crime.

However, the defence counsel opposed the plea, saying that the prosecution failed to prove the presence of accused Shafqat on the crime scene whereas the identification parade of Shafqat Ali was held 22 days after his arrest.

They submitted the statement of the accused, Shafqat, was recorded after a delay of one month and 18 days whereas he was forced to record his statement. The defence also questioned the authenticity of the identification parade while raising various questions on the process adopted during it.

The court, after hearing arguments of the parties, reserved its verdict till March 20. The prosecution presented 37 witnesses, including the victim, during the trial.