Daily Times

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) Friday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for a gang-rape suspect, Adnan Sanaullah, former office bearer of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Youth Wing.

The court directed police to arrest the accused and produce him before court December 23.

During hearing on Friday, Punjab Additional Prosecutor General Abdul Samad requested to issue non-bailable warrants for constant failure of the accused to appear before the court.

On November 17, the court while hearing an appeal challenging the bail granted to him following a ‘compromise’ with the victim party had directed the accused to appear but he failed to appear.

Counsel for the appellate prosecution department said that a sessions court had granted bail to Adnan after the victim girl tendered an affidavit in his favour. He said that the affidavit filed by the girl was a result of pressure exerted on her family by the accused party.

He said that the victim in her first statement recorded before a judicial magistrate had maintained that Sanaullah was the prime suspect of the gang rape. He said that after the victim’s statement the accused could not be given concession of bail.

He requested the court to declare the affidavit of the girl void, and cancel the bail granted to the suspect.

Race Course police had arrested Adan Sanaullah and his accomplices Abdul Majid, Muhammad Umar, Ameer Ahmad, Haris, Bilawal, Imran Shahid and Qamar Zaman on charges of abducting a teenage girl and subjecting her to gang rape.