Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Umar Sheikh has put the blame on the victim of yesterday’s motorway gang-rape incident for choosing one route when she could have chosen another. The CCPO is set to lead the investigation of the gruesome incident.
Talking to a News channel on the matter, Sheikh said that the woman had left Lahore’s Defence area at 12:30 am for Gujranwala.
“I am surprised that a mother of three, a lone driver after leaving Defence should have taken the straight route from GT Road — a generally well-populated area,” he said.
This is CCPO Umar Sheikh of the esteemed Punjab Police, for whom one IG has already been let go. This victim blamer is supposed to protect us? pic.twitter.com/yoeZc7kBI0
— Zebunnisa Burki (@zburki) September 10, 2020
The CCPO said that the victim should have “at least” checked her car’s fuel tank before getting on the route as there is no petrol pump along with it.
Responding to the CCPO’s comments, Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari said that “nothing can rationalize the crime of rape”.
“For an officer to effectively blame a woman for being gang-raped by saying she should have taken the GT Road or question as to why she went out in the night with her children is unacceptable,” she said. I have taken up this issue,” she added.
For an officer to effectively blame a woman for being gang raped by saying she should have taken the GT Road or question as to why she went out in the night with her children is unacceptable & have taken up this issue. Nothing can ever rationalise the crime of rape. That's it.
— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) September 10, 2020
Inspector-General of Punjab Police Inam Ghani claims
Inspector-General of Punjab Police Inam Ghani claimed on Thursday that the law enforcement agency has obtained “evidence” that will lead them to the culprits behind the disturbing motorway rape and robbery case.
“We have done great work so far in the motorway rape case. We have located the village from which the suspects were from,” the IGP revealed while talking to a News channel.
He also shared that 20 police teams were working on the case and are being overseen by a deputy inspector-general.
Ghani shared that the victim of the heinous crime had provided ages and other identifying features of the suspects.
“Right now, we have a very good clue which will lead us to the suspects directly. However, we cannot share it with the media yet,” Ghani said on a program at a local TV channel.
He also shared that police have obtained the complete voter list and record from the National Database & Registration Authority of the area where the suspects are believed to have hailed from.
The Punjab police chief shared that they have narrowed down the list suspects to 70 people who fall in the same age bracket as the rapists and who have a past criminal record.
He added that police teams were tracking down the people who fit the profile.
Police also carried out geofencing in the area where the incident occurred and are awaiting the report.
IG Ghani said that the woman’s children, who were forced to witness the horrific crime, were now with their family, who have been assured that they will be provided with all kinds of support. He said the victims of the attack would be in a much better state when the suspects are arrested.