Three suspects remain at large after alleged gang rape of foreign woman in Lahore

Three suspects remained at large in Lahore on Monday, three days after a 20-year-old foreign woman was allegedly gang-raped at a rented apartment in the city, police said.

Officers say they are close to making arrests. The alleged assault occurred on the night of Sept. 25.

What happened in the alleged gang rape case in Lahore?

Police registered the case at Defense C police station after the alleged assault at a rented flat in a private housing society near Raiwind Road. The woman had travelled to Pakistan for business purposes, according to police.

The three suspects named in the case have not been arrested. An investigation police spokesperson told Nukta on Monday that police were making "tireless efforts" and were close to apprehending them.

Where does the police investigation stand?

Police said the suspects fled Lahore shortly after the alleged assault. One of them was later traced to Sialkot. Two close relatives and a domestic worker linked to one of the main suspects were taken into custody for questioning. Officials said police have also recovered the vehicle allegedly used in the incident.

Lahore DIG Investigation Syed Zeeshan Raza took notice of the case on Sept. 26 and formed special investigation teams under SP Investigation Cantt Division Asim Iftikhar, police said. In a statement issued that day, Raza said all three suspects had been identified and that police were using all available resources to arrest them.

Raza said the investigation would be conducted in accordance with the law and that action would be taken against those found responsible. He also said he was personally monitoring its progress.

DIG Operations Faisal Kamran said the Crime Control Department, the operations wing and the investigation wing were jointly investigating the case.

Is this the first case involving foreign women in Defense C?

No. The incident is the second reported case involving the alleged gang rape of foreign women within the jurisdiction of Defense C police station in the past four months.

In the earlier case, two foreign women were allegedly raped in Lahore's Defense Housing Authority area in late June. Police arrested eight suspects, including Raza Dar, a relative of Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar. That case is currently before the courts.

The three suspects in the latest case remain at large as the investigation continues.