LAHORE: The prime accused Abid Malhi in the Lahore Motorway gang-rape case has arrested on Monday.
According to sources, police arrested the accused Abid Malhi from Faisalabad today. The accused is being shifted to Lahore, sources added.
Malhi’s DNA test had been obtained thrice from the motorway rape victim’s samples. However, once more his DNA test will be taken and matched with the samples before any formal proceedings begin against him, police sources said.
Police said Malhi has been on the run since September 9, when it was reported that two robbers had allegedly gang-raped a mother of three on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway.
The development was confirmed in a tweet by prime minister’s special assistant Shahbaz Gill, who said that the suspect will be punished according to law.
عابد ملہی گرفتار ہو گیا ہے۔ انشااللہ قانون کے مطابق سزا ملے گی۔
— Dr. Shahbaz GiLL (@SHABAZGIL) October 12, 2020
The news was welcomed by President Arif Alvi, who termed the arrest as “a matter of national relief”.
“An efficient trial of the accused and the ‘severest exemplary’ punishment possible under the law must be given to all those found guilty,” the president said in a tweet. “Let everyone feel safe in Pakistan, especially our women and children.”
Arrest of the 2nd motorway accused rapist is a matter of national relief. An efficient trial of the accused and the 'severest exemplary' punishment possible under the law must be given to all those found guilty. Let everyone feel safe in Pakistan, specially our women & children.
— Dr. Arif Alvi (@ArifAlvi) October 12, 2020
Earlier, two ‘robbers’ allegedly raped a woman at gunpoint in the Gujjarpura area while she was waiting for help on the motorway after her car developed a fault. The woman was traveling from Lahore to Gujranwala along with her children.
A police official stated that as the woman crossed the toll plaza on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway, her car stalled either due to a shortage of petrol or some fault.
Meanwhile, she got a call from a relative of Gujranwala, who asked her to call the police helpline for help while he also left home to reach her. When he reached the location, he found the woman terrified with her clothes stained with blood.
On 12 September, the police official stated that two armed men found the woman alone, took her and her children to a nearby field at gunpoint and gang-raped her.
Police said that the DNA of the accused identified as Abid Malhi has matched with the DNA samples of the victim woman.
The other suspect who allegedly raped the woman, Shafqat, is in jail on judicial remand.
