After the arrest of 34 more people in connection with the TikToker assault incident on Independence Day, the total number of suspects has now risen to 126, it emerged on Monday.
Punjab Inspector General of Police Inam Ghani, in a statement, informed that 15 of the arrested suspects were being sent on judicial remand for identification. He added that the police were working around the clock to arrest all suspects involved in the incident.
In this regard, the Lahore investigation DIG was directed by the provincial police chief to raise efforts to arrest the remaining suspects with the help of geo-fencing and all evidence including records of Nadra.
The IG further said the elements who subjected women to violence, abuse and ill-treatment “do not deserve any concession” and asked supervisory officers to curb such crimes and share their reports with the central police office.
Ghani also asked police to take measures for protection of women in parks, at bus stands, educational institutions, markets and other public places and arrest culprits involved in gender-based crimes. He stressed that the prosecution of all such elements should not be delayed.
Meanwhile, a local court in Lahore on Monday sent 20 suspects to jail for identification parade, raising the total number of suspects held for the purpose to 90.
Judicial magistrate Faraz Javed Waraich issued the orders on the request of investigators. He asked the police to complete the identification exercise at the earliest.
Moreover, it emerged that after the distressing incident of 400 men assaulting a
female TikToker in Greater Iqbal Park, Lahore went viral over the internet, Punjab government has proposed a ban on the entry of TikTokers and YouTubers from the parks of Punjab.
According to a report by INP, any TikToker or YouTuber found recording videos in parks of Lahore will be investigated.
Therein, the government of Punjab will be taking assistance from private security companies which will lead to trained security guards keeping a check/ patrolling in all renowned parks of Punjab.
Moreover, new cameras will be installed in parks of Punjab and the cameras failing to function properly will be repaired to ensure proper security measures.
Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari had last week detailed the initial arrests in the case, saying 24 men had been taken into custody through geo-fencing and matching records from Nadra.
Later in the day, following a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and other senior officials, the provincial police chief said senior police officers had been suspended for negligence and delayed response in dealing with the incident.
On Aug 17, the Lorry Adda police had registered a case against nearly 400 suspects for harassing and assaulting the woman at Azadi Flyover.
The first information report (FIR) was registered under Sections 354-A (assault or use of criminal force against woman and stripping her of her clothes), 382 (theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint in order to commit the theft), 147 (rioting) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
In the FIR, the complainant stated that she, along with six companions, were filming a video near Minar-i-Pakistan on Independence Day when around 300 to 400 people “attacked us”.
She said that she and her companions made a lot of effort to escape from the crowd. Observing the situation, the park’s security guard opened the gate to the enclosure around Minar-i-Pakistan, the FIR quotes her as saying.
“However, the crowd was huge and people were scaling the enclosure and coming towards us. People were pushing and pulling me to the extent that they tore my clothes. Several people tried to help me but the crowd was too huge and they kept throwing me in the air,” she said.
