A judicial magistrate in Lahore on Monday extended the physical remand of four suspects by another four days in the high-profile case involving the alleged kidnapping and rape of two foreign women, police and court officials said.
Lahore, Pakistan – Web Desk: The suspects, including one reportedly related to a senior political figure, were presented before Judicial Magistrate Azhar Mehmood after the expiry of their previous remand. Investigators requested additional custody, saying further interrogation was needed to complete the investigation.
According to the investigating officer, police have recovered the suspects’ mobile phones and the vehicle allegedly used in the crime. However, the recovery of money allegedly linked to the case remains pending.
Defence lawyers opposed the request, arguing that investigators had failed to justify the need for further custody. They also contended that an identification parade had not yet been conducted and requested the court to discharge three of the accused.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the court granted police a further four-day physical remand of all four suspects.
In a related development, a sessions court dismissed the interim pre-arrest bail of the SHO of Defence C Police Station after he failed to appear before the court. The officer is facing allegations of unlawfully entering the residence of the judicial magistrate hearing the case and allegedly threatening him.
The case stems from allegations made by two women from the Netherlands and Venezuela, who told investigators they were abducted, subjected to sexual assault, physically abused and extorted over several days before being rescued.
Police have registered the case under multiple sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), including Section 375-A (rape) and Section 365-A (kidnapping for extortion). The investigation remains ongoing.
