Punjab Police on Sunday sent the victim of the horrific motorway gang-rape case a photo of the accused for identification purposes on social messaging platform WhatsApp, according to a report published by the news website Siasat.pk.
The accused in the case, Waqar Al-Hasan, had surrendered himself before CIA Model Town in Lahore earlier on Sunday, according to local media. Police had claimed that Hasan was involved in the case after initial investigations and launched a manhunt for him.
However, as per reports, Hasan has said that he is not involved in the incident. Last week, an unidentified woman had been gang-raped in front of her children by two men on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway. The incident had sparked outcry across the nation.
Failure to arrest suspect for previous crimes
News agency correspondents contacted Waqar al-Hassan’s father and older brother, Mushtaq, who said that Waqar al-Hassan works as a laborer at a motorcycle shop and runs his own house as a laborer.
Accused Waqar’s neighbors also said that he has been living in Ali Town for twenty years and earns his living by working hard.
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On the other hand, when the locals were asked about Abid Malhi, the other main accused in the motorway abuse case, they were outraged and said that the accused Abid Malhi has already been found involved in several incidents of theft and robbery.
“The dignity of the people was not protected from his actions. If he had already been severely punished by the police and the courts, there would not have been any incident of abuse on the motorway,” a resident of the area told local media.
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According to police sources, CIA police have arrested the father and two brothers of accused Abid Malhi from Sheikhupura and shifted them to Lahore. The brothers detained by the police are named Asif and Qasim, and the father is named Akbar. An investigation is underway to arrest the accused.
GVS News Desk with additional input by other sources