Motorway gang-rape case: Two accused awarded death sentence

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday awarded death sentence to both accused – Abid Malhi and Shafqat alias Bagga – in Motorway gang-rape case.

ATC Judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta announced the judgment in Camp Jail after conducting trial on daily basis.

The court awarded death to both convicts under Section 376 (rape) of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The court also awarded life imprisonment to both convicts under 365 PPC (kidnapping), along with forfeiting of their properties in the favour of the state.

Under 392 PPC (robbery), the court awarded 14 years jail term to both convicts and imposed Rs200,000 fine each on both convicts. Under the PPC 440, the court awarded five years jail term to Malhi and Bagga, along with imposition of a fine of Rs50,000 on each convict. In case of default on fine payment, the convicts would undergo six months further jail term. Under 337-F1, 337-L2, the court directed both convicts to pay Rs100,000 each as ‘Daman’ (compensation) to the victim.

The court stated that all the punishment would run concurrently and start from the day of the arrest of the convicts. As per details, Gujjarpura police had registered an FIR [first information report] under sections 376, 392 and 427 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997. Malhi and Bagga had allegedly sexually assaulted a woman, a French-Pakistani citizen, in front of her three minor children after dragging her out of her car, that had stalled on the Motorway after it ran out of fuel. Both the convicts had fled after committing crime.

Abid Malhi was arrested from Manga Mandi after 33 days of manhunt by the Punjab police, the Counter-Terrorism Department and the Special Branch.

Co-accused Shafqat, in the preliminary investigation, stated that Abid had first raped the woman and then forced him to commit the same. He said when the Dolphin officials arrived at the crime scene, they were present there. But when Dolphin squad fired a warning shot, they left the crime scene and hid themselves in Karol jungle. After two hours, they left the jungle and reached Sheikhupura at the home of Abid Malhi, Shafqat added.

After that, both switched off their cell-phones and parted ways. Shafqat went to the house of his sister from where he was arrested, while Abid avoided a police raid and went underground for long.

Police investigation revealed that it was a gang of four criminals including Abid Malhi, Ali Sher, Iqbal alias Bala Mistri and Shafqat alias Bagga, who used to commit crimes in Sheikhupura and other cities.

Moreover, Abid and Ali Sher were arrested by the Factory Area police of Sheikhupura when they robbed a citizen while their third accomplice, Shafqat, had fled the scene. However, Abid secured bail while Ali Sher is still in jail. After that, Iqbal, who is the fourth member of the gang, suggested changing the crime area as they were under radar of Sheikhupura police.

Iqbal is a resident of Karol Ghati and he asked the gang to robe people near the said area.

Abid Malhi was arrested in another rape case also, but was acquitted. However, his DNA had been preserved with the Punjab Forensic Science Agency during investigation of that case, which helped identify him in the Motorway gang-rape incident.