Has the last legal hope of the accused in the Lahore Motorway gangrape case ended as the High Court upheld the death penalty? Did a family stopped on the roadside due to running out of petrol become the victims of a horrific crime within minutes? Did the DNA evidence, mobile phone data and identification parade completely strengthen the case against the accused?
Pakistan Motorway Gangrape Case: A historic decision has come from a High Court of Pakistan, which has sealed the punishment for the culprits of a horrific incident that shook the entire country a few years ago. Taking a major step, the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday upheld the death sentence of two criminals who had crossed all limits of brutality against a French female tourist in front of her innocent children on a highway near Lahore. After this decision of the court, now it is considered certain that the convicts Abid Ali and Shafqat Ali will reach the gallows.
That dark night and the terror of the deserted highway: When petrol ran out in the middle of the road
This soul-stirring story begins on the dark night of September 9, 2020, when a French woman of Pakistani origin was traveling on the Sialkot-Lahore motorway with her three innocent children. In the silence of the late night, suddenly his car ran out of petrol and the entire car stopped on a deserted road. Showing wisdom, the woman immediately locked all the doors of the car from inside and sat inside the car and started waiting for help. He had no idea that two wolves hidden in the darkness were moving towards him.
The window glass broke…and the orgy of barbarity began in front of the children.
The suspense and terror reached its peak when Abid and Shafqat targeted a car parked alone on a deserted road. Instead of helping, these brutes broke the car window on the scorching night. The woman kept screaming, but they forcibly pulled her out of the car. What happened next put humanity to shame. At gunpoint, they both gang-raped the woman in front of her three crying children. The cruelty did not end here; Before fleeing, they also looted all the cash, jewelery and bank cards from the helpless family.
That controversial statement of the Police Commissioner: which added fuel to the burning anger
As soon as this incident came to light, anger erupted throughout Pakistan. People took to the streets and fierce demonstrations started against the government regarding the safety of women. The public’s anger flared up further when the then Lahore Police Chief (Commissioner) Omar Sheikh gave a very irresponsible statement. He raised questions on the victim and said, ‘Why was the woman traveling alone at night’ and ‘She should have chosen some other safe route.’ This insensitive comment provoked such a volcano of anger in the entire country that the government came on the backfoot.
Hi-tech investigation: When DNA and mobile tower revealed the secret of the criminals
Under pressure, the police and investigating agencies launched a highly secret and massive operation to find these unknown attackers. Within just a few days, investigators narrowed down the circle of suspects with the help of mobile phone data and tower locations in the area. Ultimately, strong DNA evidence recovered from the crime scene exposed Abid and Shafqat. The victim woman later identified the two during legal proceedings, and Shafqat Ali tearfully confessed to his crime before a magistrate. In March 2021, an anti-terrorism court sentenced him to death and life imprisonment.
The last bet also failed: Will both the beasts be hanged now?
Both the convicts had filed an appeal in Lahore High Court against the trial court’s decision. His lawyers, trying to create suspense, argued that there were many flaws and inconsistencies in the police investigation, hence the sentence should be cancelled. However, the government prosecution presented irrefutable scientific evidence and DNA reports before the court. According to Pakistani media outlet ‘Dawn’, the judges considered that the evidence in the case was so strong that it could not be refuted. The court has completely rejected the last appeal of the convicts and has upheld their death sentence, thus paving the way for this dreadful justice.