Lahore motorway gang-rape: Police arrest third accomplice of two main suspects

LAHORE: A third accomplice of the two prime suspects in the motorway gang rape case has been detained, police confirmed on Tuesday, while key suspect Abid Ali remains at large.

Police said a man named Bala Mistri, identified by the arrested suspect Shafqat Ali as the third person in the Lahore motorway gang rape case, has been taken into custody.

According to details, Bala Mistri was with them on that night but had left before the incident.

The police said that he has been involved in various crimes alongside Abid in the past as well.

Shafqat reveals third name in motorway rape case

A day prior, sources had informed Geo News that suspect Shafqat told police a third name in the motorway rape case during interrogation.

According to Shafqat, Mistri called him and the prime suspect Abid to Lahore and all three gathered in Shahdara where they had food together. They "went to commit the crime but Bala Mistri turned back halfway," he had told police, according to sources.

Shafqat had also told police that he and Abid had tried to rape a woman in Sheikhupura a month earlier but fled as Punjab police arrived on the scene.

"We spent a night at Qila Sattar Shah after committing the rape," Shafqat told police, as per sources. "The next day, I went to Dialpur and Abid went to his father in Manga Mandi," he added, noting that he was last in contact with the prime suspect three days ago.