Police clear five suspects of rape charges in Lahore case involving two foreign women

Police have cleared five suspects, including a man reportedly linked to a senior government minister, of rape charges, while accusing three others of sexual assault, in an incomplete report submitted to a trial court. The case involves the alleged gang rape and detention of two foreign women. The next hearing is on Nov. 11.

What does the police report say in the Lahore foreign women rape case?

The report, known as a challan, keeps allegations of illegal detention, extortion and other offenses against several suspects. Police said they were still awaiting forensic reports from the Punjab Forensic Science Agency. Medical examinations and statements before a magistrate were completed, and DNA, fingerprint and polygraph tests were also conducted.

What led to the alleged detention of the two foreign women?

According to the investigation, the women met one of the main suspects in Singapore in 2025 and invited him to invest in their cryptocurrency business. After receiving returns on his initial investment, he invested another $500,000 but allegedly did not receive the expected profits or repayment. The report said the suspect invited the women to Pakistan in June, ostensibly to arrange a meeting with another investor.

After staying at a hotel in Islamabad and visiting Murree and other areas, the women were taken to a house in Lahore's Defense Phase VII neighborhood on June 29. They were allegedly held against their will to force them to make payments.

What did the women allege happened during their detention?

Police alleged that the women were forced to transfer about $19,500, which was converted into Pakistani rupees through an account based in Lahore. According to the report, two suspects received Rs1.1 million each. The complainants alleged that armed men threatened them with a knife, a gun and a broken mirror, warning that they would be killed if they failed to meet the demands.

The women escaped on July 1 when the car taking them to the airport was involved in an accident near Bhatta Chowk. They raised an alarm, prompting police to take them into protection, the report said. Police said they recovered Rs4.3 million allegedly extorted from the women, along with a mobile phone and a vehicle.

Which charges were registered in the Lahore foreign women rape case?

Pistols and a rifle were also recovered, leading to separate cases under the Arms Ordinance. The first information report was registered under sections of the Pakistan Penal Code covering kidnapping for extortion, rape, concealment of kidnapped persons and destruction of evidence.

What have the defense and police said about the case?

Advocate Salman Shahid, who represents two suspects accused of sexual assault, alleged that police were favoring senior suspects and making his clients, whom he described as low-paid employees, scapegoats. In July, Lahore Deputy Inspector General of Police Operations Faisal Kamran said investigators had been directed to treat the politically linked suspect like "any other criminal." He also pledged to ensure that no suspect benefited from legal loopholes.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Rafaqat Ali Gondal distributed copies of the investigation report and scheduled the next hearing for Nov. 11.