Foreign Woman Tells Court She Was Given Alcohol Before Alleged Gang Rape in Lahore

LAHORE: The statement recorded by a foreign woman before a judicial magistrate in connection with an alleged gang rape in Lahore’s Defence area has come to light.

The 22-year-old woman, identified as Diana and a citizen of Azerbaijan, recorded her statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). According to the reported statement, her account was recorded on a mobile phone and transferred to a USB drive.

According to the woman, she arrived in Islamabad from Istanbul on the 13th and later travelled to Faisalabad, where she stayed for five days before coming to Lahore. She said she had planned to travel to Skardu but could not proceed because she was travelling alone.

She stated that she contacted two women, Nimra and Muskan, to meet them. She said she met Muskan at a café at around 11pm, after which Muskan told her that their friend Nimra was waiting for them.

According to Diana, she went with Muskan to meet Nimra. They had food around 2am, after which two men arrived in a vehicle. She said Nimra invited them to join them for food. The men were identified as Mohsin and Ahmed. The group later went to an apartment, where two more men arrived, one identified as Ali Aziz.

The woman alleged that Nimra received Rs20,000 to Rs30,000 from Mohsin and gave the money to her, but she refused to accept it. She said Mohsin subsequently took her to a separate room where three men were present.

She alleged that when she asked about Nimra and Muskan, she was told that they had left. When she asked to leave, the men allegedly told her that she could not go because her friend had taken money from them.

According to her statement, Ali Aziz allegedly threatened and attempted to blackmail her. She said the men ordered alcohol and told her that she could leave after drinking with them. She alleged that after consuming alcohol, she was told to sleep there until the effects wore off.

Diana alleged that Mohsin, Ahmed and Ali Aziz subsequently sexually assaulted her. She said the men later took her in a vehicle and told her that her belongings, including around Rs200,000 in cash and an iPhone, would only be returned if she agreed not to report the incident to police.

She further alleged that the men eventually opened the vehicle door and pushed her out, leaving her without her belongings. She said she sought help from people nearby and contacted the police.

Meanwhile, police have arrested a woman allegedly accused of facilitating the incident.

Police said that the victim’s two mobile phones have not yet been recovered. Two suspects have been arrested, while raids are being conducted to apprehend a third suspect.