Lahore court remands three more suspects in foreign women assault case

A judicial magistrate in Lahore on Monday remanded three more suspects to five-day police custody in the abduction and sexual assault case involving two foreign women.

The suspects appeared before the Cantonment Courts. Prosecutors said they worked as security guards and servants for the case's main suspects.

Who are the newly remanded suspects?

The three suspects worked as private security guards and household servants for the case's main accused, according to the prosecution. They appeared before the magistrate at the Cantonment Courts on Monday.

Police sought custody to continue questioning them as part of the wider investigation into the alleged crime.

Why did police request a longer remand?

A public prosecutor asked the court for 14 days of physical remand, citing weapons allegedly used in the offense that police had not yet recovered. The prosecutor also said medical examinations were required to confirm the suspects' ages.

The magistrate ultimately granted five days of custody instead of 14.

Did the suspects respond to the charges?

The magistrate asked the suspects whether they wanted to make a statement before issuing the remand order. All three declined and told the court they did not have legal representation.

The magistrate then granted police five additional days to continue the investigation.

How many suspects have been arrested so far?

Police said Sunday that all eight suspects named in the case had been arrested, including two high-profile individuals. Four suspects, including a relative of a senior political figure, remain in police custody until July 8. The two foreign nationals involved left Pakistan on July 3 after being recovered.

What is the related case against a police officer?

A sessions court separately granted pre-arrest bail on Monday to a station house officer accused of entering a judicial magistrate's official residence to obtain statements from the two foreign nationals. Mustafabad police had registered the case against SHO Faryad and other officers from the Defense C police station. The court extended his bail until July 10.

What are the officer accused of doing?

SHO Faryad and colleagues are accused of forcibly entering the residence of Judicial Magistrate Azhar Mehmood and pressuring him to speak by phone with Lahore's Deputy Inspector General Operations, Faisal Kamran.

A day earlier, Kamran apologized to the judiciary over the incident. He defended the officers, saying inaction would have invited scrutiny from media and international forums.