A judicial magistrate in Lahore has sent four suspects, including one reportedly related to a senior political figure, to 14-day judicial remand in a case involving the alleged kidnapping and sexual assault of two foreign women.
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The order was issued by Judicial Magistrate Azhar Mahmood after the expiry of the suspects’ physical remand. Police submitted a progress report and requested judicial remand, which the court approved.
The case involves two foreign nationals — one from the Netherlands and the other from Venezuela — who allegedly were abducted and assaulted after arriving in Pakistan for what they believed were business meetings.
During the hearing, the state prosecutor opposed a defence request to discharge one of the suspects, arguing that he was accused of destroying evidence and facilitating the alleged crimes. The court noted that while only one suspect was named in the initial FIR, the remaining accused were later identified by the victims during the investigation.
According to the FIR, registered on July 2, the women were allegedly kidnapped by five suspects who demanded a ransom of up to $1.5 million and subjected them to sexual assault during their captivity.
In statements recorded before a judicial magistrate under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, one of the victims said she and her companion had travelled to Pakistan on June 26 at the invitation of a local business associate. She alleged they were lured to a house in Lahore under the pretext of attending a family celebration, where armed men held them captive.
The woman further alleged that the suspects demanded ransom, transferred cryptocurrency from her account and repeatedly forced her to send distress messages to her family. She said the victims eventually escaped by jumping from a moving vehicle and sought help at a nearby mechanic’s shop before police arrived.
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The investigation is ongoing, and police are continuing to gather evidence. The court has directed that the suspects remain in judicial custody while legal proceedings continue.