The prime suspect in the Motorway gang-rape case, Abid Ali, was arrested on Monday from Faisalabad. The arrest comes a little over a month after the incident, that had sparked outrage across the country.
According to the details, Ali is now being shifted to Lahore. In addition to this, the entire police force of the province had been searching for him since he went into hiding. The teams were busy in reconnaissance to find out his hiding place.
The police also conducted several raids at residences of his relatives and close friends. They had been in frequent contact with Ali. As per sources, he escaped arrest on multiple occasions during police teams’ raids in Kasur, Sheikhhupura, Nankana Sahib, and other areas of the province.
Moreover, the news of the arrest was confirmed by Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) for Political Communication Dr. Shahbaz Gill on Twitter. He stated, “Abid has been arrested. Inshallah, he will be punished according to the law.“
According to police, the DNA of Ali had matched the Lahor e motorway gang-rape victim three times. However, one more test will be conducted after collecting samples from the suspect directly.
He was already present in the lab’s DNA database after being booked for raping a mother and her daughter in 2013 but unfortunately, the suspect was released on bail at the time.
How did the police arrest Abid Ali?
Motorway case Suspect Abid Ali was arrested from Faisalabad and it was made possible after the police tapped phone calls of him and his wife. The police laid a trap for him and given his wife a SIM which she used to call him.
Ali told his wife in one of his calls to her that he would meet her in Faisalabad. It led to the whereabouts of the accused, the police said, adding that Ali had been seeking logistics and financial aid from his relatives. When the motorway rape suspect arrived in the city to meet her, he was nabbed by police officials in plain clothes.
Without disclosing the date of his arrest, DIG Sultan said Ali was being interrogated for some time and his identity was also confirmed through DNA profiling.
Both the suspects are now in the custody of law enforcement authorities
Moreover, the other suspect involved in the motorway incident named Shafqat is already in jail on judicial remand. Hence, both involved in the heinous crime are now in the custody of law enforcement authorities.
During interrogation, Shafqat told the police that Ali had first raped the woman. Then asked him to commit the offense while threatening him that he would shoot him (Shafqat) for not committing the crime or showing sympathy for the victim.
After committing the heinous crime, they noticed the personnel of the Dolphin Squad reaching the spot, the official said. As soon as a Dolphin official fired a warning shot into the air, both the suspects fled the scene and hid in a nearby jungle to avoid arrest.
Later, they left the place and reached Sheikhupura at the home of Ali in tehsil Ferozewala of Sheikhupura district. Both Ali and Shafqat turned their mobile phones off. As more news of the crime appeared in the media, both went underground to avoid arrest.
However, both involved in the unspeakable crime are now in the custody of law enforcement authorities. Moreover, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore on Tuesday sent Abid, the prime suspect in the motorway gang rape case, to jail on 14-judicial remand.
Last month, two robbers on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway had gang-raped a mother of two in front of her children. It was in an area falling within the Gujjarpura police jurisdiction. The incident caused a countrywide outpouring of anger and brought sexual violence against women into national focus.
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