May 2, 2023
By Ahmed Saeed
LAHORE
The father of an 18-year-old girl who was found unconscious in Lahore’s Kahna area has withdrawn the rape case he had filed with Kahna police a day earlier.
According to the first information report (FIR), the girl had gone shopping in a market in Chungi Amar Sadhu when she was kidnapped by unknown men who took her to an undisclosed location and sexually assaulted her. They later abandoned her in Kahna, around 15 km away from where she had been abducted. The girl was taken to General Hospital Lahore by Rescue 1122 for treatment after passersby discovered her unconscious on the roadside.
Subsequently, on the complaint of her father, the Kahna police registered a case under Section 376 (punishment for rape) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
However, when contacted for further information, the girl’s father told Voicepk.net that his family did not want to pursue the case and declined from sharing the reason for this decision.
“I have arranged a lawyer who will complete legal requirements to withdraw the case,”
he stated.
The case was assigned to the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Cell of the Lahore Police for investigation. The investigation officer (IO) in charge of the case, Ayesha, said that sexual assault could not be established after a medical examination, and that the girl also had not alleged rape when recording her statement.
“The medical examination report did not indicate any sign of rape, and the girl’s condition was reportedly stable at the time of the examination. Moreover, during the police investigation, the girl did not mention any sexual assault or rape,” she told Voicepk.net. Ayesha further stated that the girl’s family had informed her that the girl had a history of mental instability and usually suffered from fits, and there had been past episodes of her leaving home and being found unconscious in the vicinity.
The case has sparked outrage and concern among local human rights organizations, with many on social media urging the police to investigate the matter further to ensure that justice is served.
