Foreign women's abduction, rape case: Suspects remanded in judicial custody

A judicial magistrate on Monday ordered a 14-day judicial remand for three suspects accused in the alleged kidnapping and rape of two foreign women.

The decision came after Defence C police presented the suspects before the court following the completion of their physical remand and requested that they be transferred to judicial custody.

The magistrate approved the request, directing that the suspects be shifted to judicial lockup and instructing investigators to submit a progress report at the next court hearing.

A day earlier, a duty magistrate had granted police a five-day physical remand of another suspect, identified in the first information report (FIR) as "Boss."

The suspect was taken into police custody to facilitate further investigation into the case.

In a separate development, the Lahore High Court concluded a habeas corpus petition filed by the mother of the suspect known as "Boss," who had sought the recovery of her son from alleged unlawful police detention.

During the hearing, a government law officer informed the court that the suspect had already been placed on physical remand through a judicial order. After being apprised of the situation, the court disposed of the petition.

Last week, four additional suspects in the case, including a relative of a senior political figure, were also sent to judicial custody as legal proceedings continued.

The case was registered earlier this month after Police Emergency Helpline 15 received a call from Spain. The caller, identified as the father of one of the victims, reported the alleged abduction of the two women. According to investigators, one victim is a Dutch national, while the other is from Venezuela.

According to the FIR, the victims were allegedly abducted by five suspects, including a close relative of a prominent political personality.

The complaint states that the accused demanded a ransom and allegedly subjected the women to sexual assault while they were held captive.

Investigators further allege that the suspects demanded a ransom of $1.5 million before committing the alleged assaults.

The accused are facing charges under multiple provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), including Section 365-A, which relates to kidnapping for extortion, and Section 375-A, which concerns rape.

The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities are expected to present further findings before the court in the coming hearings.